


Hope for the hopeless warriors

by charzoid



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Another Episode, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Abusive Parents, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Developing Friendships, Domestic Violence, Fix-It, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lies, Minor Violence, Odd Friendships, Other, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Platonic Relationships, Self-Acceptance, Self-Discovery, Self-Doubt, Sexual Abuse, Slice of Life, Swearing, What-If, except monica, save the children, there I said it!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-19 09:54:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13702077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charzoid/pseuds/charzoid
Summary: We learn the warriors of hope were kids with potential but because of a bad home life and the wrong person taking advantage of their desperate need to escape it they went down the wrong road. This is my take of them of what may have happened if they met the right people instead.





	1. What's been hidden

**Author's Note:**

> After watching many let's plays of Danganronpa ultra despair girls I couldn't help but feel the warriors of hope really got jibed in the grand scheme of things. They were all good beans who got saddled with the suckiest parents possible thus turned to the suckiest teen possible just cause she pretended to care. That's where the idea of all of them (minus monica) meeting actually good teens and role models came to mind. Can't get better then an ultimate right? 
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING! A few spoilers from the Danganronpa: Ultimate Despair girls is in this so if you don't want to know them yet I'm just letting you know now.

When a child is first born most mothers will usually comment on how beautiful they are. Even if they are born with a disfigurement like cleft lip, an extra arm, or no fingers, they still are given looks of nothing but love from both their parents. This was the case of the father to a young Jataro Kamuri but his mother, Mimi Kamuri on the other hand was the exact opposite. Whenever he saw her face look in his direction it was nothing but disgust and hate toward him. He figured it had something to do with his ugliness even though he had honestly never seen his own face or body before.

He might of seen it once when he was really little but since he couldn't remember a time that far back he trusted what she said about him being so hideous in both the face and body. That's why she'd put over sized clothing along with a mask on him. Even when he had to take a bath he was never aloud to do it alone cause he might accidently see himself so she would tell him to close his eyes while she blindfolded him, striped him, then dipped him around roughly in the tub. Apparently because he didn't look like other kids she was ashamed to show him off to people.

Since his dad never objected to anything she ever said to him he assumed it must of been true. His dad's name was Roicu kemuri and he was an accountant. Jataro wasn't sure what that was but it sounded important. He noticed sometimes his mom never said the mean things she did when his dad was around in the same way. When he was in the room and she called him "gremlin" it was in a joking tone while smiling like she was just teasing but when he was out of the room she'd say it in a way that sounded like she meant it.

Family really was a weird thing for him but he decided one day that maybe he was just in one of those families that showed love differently. He convinced himself at some point that every time she would say offhandedly that she hated seeing his face every morning she was really just saying how she loved him. People don't let other people they truly don't want around stay with them right? That's at least what he had been trying to convince himself to believe every time he was stuffed into those itchy clothes and the smelly mask.

He did learn however that she was wrong about how he'd never make any friends because of his looks since he knew 3 other kids who were like him a little. Just like him they didn't understand their parents behavior. His mom might of been rough with him from time to time but she never beat him like his friend Masaru's dad did nor let strange men touch his special parts like Kotoko's parents did. On top of that even though he wasn't to smart to begin with and was aware of this to a degree, they also never drugged him to do better in school like Nagisa's parents did.

It helped to try at least to think of the positive sides of being hated since that meant fewer people would bother with teasing you. You didn't have to fake being nice to people who hated you and at the end of the day he liked to think it wasn't just his dad but both of his parents that loved him. Dad might not of said it a lot but he let him do things like walking home on his own. He was doing that today in fact which meant daddy trusted him. The crayon map to home from school helped a bit as well of course but sometimes it distracted him from looking where he was going.

***HONK HONK HONK***

The loud sound of a speeding car horn rang out but even when he looked up he just barely dodged it in time before getting knocked out by a pole he leapt into while trying to dodge. The car nicked him in the hip enough that when he hit the pole it was with more force then if he had just hobbled into it. It instantly knocked him out on the sidewalk. He was out for a few hours when he suddenly felt something touch his face and made him slowly wake up.

At  shirakaba  hospital

A pale girl with long messy hair, some of it tied in the shape of 2 cones, white streaks and wearing a white school uniform. She had mix-matched pink/ blue tube socks and was staring up at a her destination with a goal in mind. That goal was to share an extra turkey sandwich she accidently packed with a friend here. She brushed her pink and blue bang from her eyes. The girl was known as Ibuki Mioda and she was a former member of a pretty popular school band back at her old school thus giving her the title super duper high school musician.

Ibuki Mioda decided today she would leave school grounds for a bit since it was lunch and hang out with one of her friends who was also not at school right now. No one did say after all that school lunch **had** to be eaten at school after all. That was at least the logic Ibuki liked to think worked but even if it wasn't completely true she could get a note from her good friend Mikan-chan. It really did pay to be good friends with a nurse that was nice enough to help with skipping class and also if she needed bandages for when some of her less then great musical stunt ideas backfired. The ultimate musician ran around the hospital halls a bit until someone in scrubs asked her exactly what she was doing on the hospital property.

"Oh, I was looking for a nurse here named Ms. Mikan Tsumiki! I've got a family emergency to tell her about!" She exclaimed this while pretending to foam at the mouth to emphasize the horror of the fake situation. The person in scrubs quickly took her to the second floor and pressed a button on a door labeled R-121.

"Nurse Tsumiki, a girl is here to see you for a family emergency. Are you still busy with the latest patient or can you come out?" Asked the scrub wearing staff member.

"Umm, I'm sorry to ask but who in the family did she say was having an emergency?" a timid sounding voice replied. Before the staff person could turn fully to ask this question to Ibuki,the teen decided to answer the question part herself and slammed the speaker button.

"I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR UNCLE TURKEY! THIS IS LIKE A LIFE AND DEATH SCENERIO!" the musician hollered into the speaker box.

"Oh no! I don't even remember having an uncle named turkey, he's going to hate knowing this. Please come inside fast Ibuki, I'm just about done with the patient anyway." said Mikan in a panicked tone.

The door opened to reveal her friend Mikan standing there in her usual nurse apron she liked to wear just in case. She wore an extra ring of bandages on her right arm and a few around her left leg that stopped just short of her blue skirt. She had her long dark purple hair in a ponytail today and her light gray-ish purple eyes that were filled with the same worried expression they almost always had.

Once she was inside the clean smelling hospital room, Ibuki decided to flop down on the side of the bed she though was empty to relax before opening up her backpack for her bag lunch. Mikan was pretty use to her friends odd behavior but was confused as to why she was suddenly calmer then how she sounded over the speaker box and was pulling something out of backpack.

"Okay Mikan, what was the emergency with my uncle turkey?" she asked the girl on the floor.

"Oh Ibuki doesn't know if you have an uncle named turkey but I brought an extra turkey sandwich for you. Lunch can count as medical emergency if you faint from not eating during lunch time right?" the musician said with a grin.

It was wrong of her to use the emergency speaker as a toy but Mikan wasn't really the type to lecture people much. That and this is was the 5th time this month Ibuki pulled a joke like this. Ever since meeting Ibuki as well as the other teens at Hope's peak academy she had overcome her shyness at least a little bit but she was still a little bit overly anxious about things from time to time. Right now she didn't want her friend to mess with her latest patient's rest or she might get in trouble.

"I appreciate your offer Mikan but I'd like if you could please not roll to much on that bed. The patient isn't in a critical condition but the side of his head is going to hurt a bit when he wakes up so you shaking the bed won't really help matters." The shy nurse explained this while trying to motion her friend off the bed.

Standing quickly, Ibuki turned around to see there was indeed a small kid on the bed she was laying on. Likely in 3rd grade by how old he looked with what appeared to be light brown hair from what bits of it that was sticking out from his bandaged head. He was wearing what looked like an over sized long red sleeved school shirt with regular sized school boy shorts. What caught her attention though was something brown and folded laying next to the kid's bed on a small desk beside him. She picked it up and couldn't really tell if it was meant to be a Halloween mask or a funny hat. It looked like different pieces of brown leather done into a flimsy little mask with large holes for the eyes and mouth but not the nose. A random breathing tube was also attached to it for some reason.

"What's this thing from and who made it?" She wondered out loud to herself.

"I'm not sure who made it but the little boy was wearing it when he came in. He had been hit by a car earlier today and hit his head but luckily he only got a bad bump to the side of the head. I had to clean his injury and that mask was filthy so I cleaned that to." Mikan explained.

The mask much like the kid's clothing was also a bit oversized and it made her curious how it would look on her. Since it had been cleaned and she was curious still she put the mask on but her coned hair kind of stretched it up on her face a bit. Before her friend could ask her to not play with the patient's property they both heard a small sort of nasal chuckle from the bed. The boy was apparently starting to dream something. She felt bad for the kid being copped up in this hospital and with the way he was sweating she was curious if it was from his clothing or from a fever. Forgetting that she had just put the mask on, Ibuki put her hand to his forehead to check and the second she put her hand to his forehead he slowly opened his eyes.

Grey eyes looked into red ones for a full minute before he finally decided to react

"AAAHHHH! Someone is wearing my face!" He screamed while flailing his sleeved arms.


	2. Who are these girls.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After waking up, Jataro is more confused then he's ever been but at least he gets ice cream out of it.

After calming down and being given some water from the nice nurse lady, Jataro was able to put together where he was. He was confused on how he ended up there though.

Despite the aspirins he was just given his head still ached a bit. He was walking home one minute, heard something loud coming, and woke up here with 2 odd teen girls staring at him. One of them was dressing kind of like those rock singers on TV and had been wearing what looked like his mask but cleaner. It was impossible of course for her to be wearing it because that would mean that he himself was sitting there without one. He always figured if someone was to see his face without the mask their faces would melt off from how ugly he was. His mom did always say he didn't look like other kids and since she was never wrong that meant he was right in this thinking.

He didn't like thinking to hard on overly complex things because that made his head really itchy. Right now in fact it was starting to itch a bit. He was about to reach up rub through he mask to try and stop it but the teen nurse stopped him by gently grabbing his hand as he reached up.

"Now I know those bandages have to be a little itchy but please don't scratch at them or they might come loose. No one likes to wash blood from hair, the smell is pretty bad." said Mikan

"What do you mean by hair?" he questioned.

"The brunette hair on you head silly. Your gonna seriously need to wash it and your face when you get home. After wearing this weird hat mask thing so long you've have got to have major head lice or something" the musician answered.

 _"...My face? My mask? But if what she says is true that means I'm not wearing it. Why wouldn't their faces be melting from my ugliness if I'm mask less? Does that mean I'm...?"_ He quickly grabbed the closest reflective thing nearby which happened to be a round tray his food was still on. Ignoring the protests of the nurse beside him, he poured the contents on the floor and turned the tray over to see just what he looked like for the first time. He imagined a squished in head, skin with no hair barely clinging to the skull, a weird pig nose, all topped off with massive oozing warts. What started back at him was the opposite of all those things on the tray. He even watched his own hand move up to touch his white cheek. Save for the slight scratch on said cheek his skin was violet eyes perfectly symmetrical as any other person, likely from being under his mask for so long his hair was slightly matted but was still a fair looking light brown that covered his whole clean head.

He had the face of practically any other healthy school boy.

Everything drowned out around him as he slowly absorbed this for a few moments. At some point he unconsciously started pinching himself to test if he was dreaming. He didn't know what to think and started to cry almost in hysterical confusion. He didn't know whether to feel happy, sad, or angry that this was the truth all along.

"Are you okay?! Please calm down!" The nurse was now holding him while trying to clean his tears with some tissues. The boy was fine one minute and now suddenly sobbing.

"I...I...I don't understand this at all! Is this some cruel dream? She made me wear this mask for so long and isn't suppose to be wrong about this type of thing. Is this really me? Why would she lie about something like this for so long?" he wailed.

After a little while he started to calm down.

"Who is this "she" you were talking about and what were you screaming about?" It was the musician girl who said this and for the first time since meeting she had a very serious expression on her face.

His mother always told him if anyone ever asked why he didn't or wouldn't take off his mask for something to just say it was for medical reasons. Now however he knew the truth and the rule didn't apply to this. He didn't know these girls but they seemed genuinely caring and nicer to him then his mom or anyone else at school was to him. For some reason he suddenly felt a little more willing to tell someone his thoughts. For the next 12 minutes he did just that with explaining his mother's reasons he needed to wear the mask at all times. Then what she had been telling him since the day he could start understanding words and sentences. At the end of his story both girls just stood there with looks of confusion and sadness for the poor boy. The super high school musician had long taken off his mask from her face when he started his story and looked the most angry out of the pair by the end of it. She looked about ready to scream but did a bit of steady breathing to calm herself down.

"...We never did get your name kid. What is it?" She asked this in the calmest tone she could muster.

"Oh, my name is Jataro Kamuri. I'm also known as lil ultimate art at my Hope's peak elementary school." He replied with a little fear at the face she was making.

Ibuki noticed his fear and tried to make a more relaxed face with what she wanted to say next. It wasn't him she was angry at but the idea of someone trying to bring down someone from ever being happy made her beyond angry. Not everything in the world was free or fair and being able to express someone's self even if they don't meet other peoples perfect standards was something she always cherished. The idea that someone would stomp all over someone's possible hopes and right to happiness when they just met was bad enough but in the case of this kid, his youth and future happiness wasn't even being given a chance to happen. From a stranger that was bad but by his own parents made it even worse. She left her old band because they tried to do similar and restrain how she could play, what to wear, and who she wanted to be in general. To see something similar happening but to this extreme was like a knife to the memory.

"Are you okay lady? Did I say something wrong?" Jataro asked.

The voice of the boy snapped her out of her thoughts and back to what was going on in front of her. This kid really needed a friend right now.

"Names Ibuki Mioda, the ultimate musician at the Hope's Peak high school and no you didn't do anything wrong. Hope it doesn't sound to weird but how about I buy you some ice cream when you recover. Kay?" she said with a smile.

Mikan watched her friend stand there for a while seemingly lost in thought. There were few times she ever really saw her serious and all those times scared her. Not to say what the little boy had just explained to them wasn't a scary thing. He seemed to have a slight mental problem to begin with from what she gathered in how he behaved, and to traumatize him into thinking he was less then human was not going to do his mental health any more favors. He even said he was recently attempting to coach his "happy place" into thinking that being hated just meant a different way people showed they liked him. Mikan wasn't a stranger to bullies or people making her feel she didn't deserve to exist either with physical abuse in the past. They even sometimes pretended she didn't exist when she tried to speak up. Before going into Hopes Peak and meeting all her friends she thought that her very existence bothered those around her. In Hopes Peak she met people who'd let her speak when she wanted to and valued her help.

After a few moments of silence Ibuki introduced herself so she decided to do the same.

"I'm your nurse Mikan Tsumiki, I go to the same high school alongside Ibuki but as the ultimate nurse or more like a nurse's aid if I'm honest." Mikan said.

Every kid in Hope's Peak Elementary dreamed that their talent could be good enough to get into a school like Hope's peak high school and here he was with two ultimate students from there. One even offering him ice cream out the blue. A lot of surreal stuff seemed to be happening for him this morning but he definitely felt a smidge better at least now that he was finally able to tell his story. Something about getting to talk about his troubles with people outside his small circle of friends felt good. his friends suddenly on his mind he wondered how their reactions to he his face might be, the reactions of other classmates, teachers, and...his mommy. His mommy might of never really cared for him the way he wanted her to but she was still his mom as far he knew. It was still confusing to him that he had this normal face but she wanted it covered for reasons that seemed to be lies. Maybe since these girls were from a super duper high school of smart big kids they'd have an answer.

"Um, I'd like that ice cream but can one of you answer a question? Why do you think my mom had me wear that mask all this time? Don't all parents want their kids to be like by other kids?" he asked

Neither really knew how to answer since it was definitely an unusual situation. Mental abusers and people who take advantage of those with mental problem tended to have narcissistic domination complex. In the case of a woman it was called borderline personality disorder. It was hard to understand and to explain it to a kid was even harder. Since he mentioned his mom the most, the husband must not be aware of the abuse or ignoring it. Ibuki however had thought up a plan after a he asked his question.

"Well, I can't really say what her reason was 100% Jataro but I think your mom just has what most people call a sick sense of humor." she said.

"Sick sense of humor?" he repeated.

"Yeah, like how people laugh when they see someone trip funny and get hurt in sitcoms. Some people like taking it to the extreme though."Ibuki explained

"I've never felt like laughing about it before. Is me knowing this going to make her laugh when she sees me now?"Jataro questioned.

"Well lots of humor can be one-sided and she might not of realized how unfunny something like this could be for you. Don't worry though I think I have an idea on how to throw her humor back at her so she sees how ignoring you like this feels". Ibuki explained.

"Do you really think she'll like me more if we do that?" he asked.

Ibuki pretend to think about it for a moment before responding.

"Maybe or maybe not but either way she'll see you as even more of a person if things turn out well. I'll even drive you home once Mikan prescribes you some pain killers. That sound good to you lil Jat Jat?" she said.

Mikan then remembered she needed to go fill him out a bottle with instructions and left the two alone.

Looking like a person in the eyes of his mother in someway was one of his dreams so their was no way he could say no. He nodded his head yes with a small smile.

"Good! Now I've got a question for you lil Jat Jat? What's your favorite ice cream?"

"Peppermint with chocolate chips but why are you calling me Jat Jat?" he asked.

She giggled in response to the question and shrugged her shoulders.

"Just thought it seemed like a good nickname" She said this with her usual smile back on her face.

**Later that night**

Since Ibuki had forgotten her car was still under repair from her last concert stunt she had Mikan drive them to Jataro's house. He had his mask back on and a little messy again from the ice cream he had been eating. Mikan stayed in the car and kept it running while Ibuki walked the boy to his home. When they knocked the first person to appear was a scrawny looking slightly pale man with brunette hair much like jataro's but with freckles and brown eyes.

Roicu Kamuri stared surprised to see both his son home so late and a random teenage girl holding his hand.

"Jataro? What are you doing here son, your mom said that you'd be at your new friend mickey's house for a sleep over?" the man questioned

"Um, I don't have any friends named Mickey dad." Jataro answered

"Roicu, who is it at this hour? If its those goddam girl scouts then shut the door!"a shrill female voice called from within in the house.

"No dear, its Jataro and some girl is with him. Also he says he doesn't have any friends named mickey."the father called back.

"A girl?! Why would a girl be hanging out with him?" As she said this heavy slapping sounds of slippers could be heard approaching.

A woman appeared in the doorway. Unlike the man she was much wider and had a face made slightly more pretty by many telling signs of multiple facial surgeries. With her bleach blonde hair she looked nothing like Jataro save for her eyes that were the same color as his.

"Oh welcome home son, I thought you said you were going to a new friends house for a sleep over. I must of got the names of your friends mixed up with someone else. "said the women.

"Ah, I see the mix up then but why are you home so late son?" asked the father.

 _"Well, I can see where Jataro got the gullible genes from."_ Ibuki thought to herself. She then answered the question for Jataro.

"Jataro here got into a little accident earlier today but he's all good now. So long as he takes these pain killers every 6 hrs for the next 4 days." Ibuki explained while handing the father Jataro's pain killers.

"Oh god, son what happened!?" His father exclaimed while kneeling down to look Jataro over for injuries.

Ibuki noted that unlike the mother, Jataro's father seemed genuinely concerned about him. When she announced where he was the man was the only of the pair to react. His mother just stood there with a neutral expression although for a split second she though she saw disappointment on her face.

"Thank you very much for bringing our son home young lady. What was your name? asked Roicu

"Your welcomed and I'm Ibuki Mioda. By the way, me and Jataro got to know each other while at the hospital and I think he'd be a great addition to a music club at my high school. He tells me his talent is art and everyone knows music is an awesome type of art on its own." Ibuki replied.

Looking back at the girl now, the father was the first to reply.

"What kind of High school would allow a grade school kid in their clubs? Besides Jataro has to focus on improving his handwriting and reading skills. He keeps getting in trouble for trying to use his crafting tools in class to write on tests." he asked

"Well at a high school like Hope's Peak Academy every club has an outreach tutoring program to help kids with homework and stuff like that, he wouldn't just be helping the club on music related stuff. " Ibuki assured them while handing them a flier.

She may have been lying about Jataro having possible music related skills that could help the club but she wasn't lying about the program. For extra class credit teens could help tutor kids having trouble with homework in whatever category. The entry fee wasn't cheap but a child getting tutoring from a ultimate teen or adult from such an academy would get them a little more noticed by the school in the future. As a bonus it gave the parents something to gloat about as well.

"Oh why didn't you mention being from Hope's Peak academy in the first place? Of course he can go. It'll be a nice little something to keep him out the house for a few more hours and keep him away from those delinquent friends of his." The mother said this with the first hint at actual joy since Ibuki met her.

 _"But they aren't bad kids mommy"._ This is what Jataro wanted to say but decided to remain silent.

Roicu didn't 100 percent want to agree since they really didn't know this girl but he hated arguing in front of his wife in public more. Plus to the best of his knowledge the school never had any students that were truly that dangerous for a little kid to hang around. His wife was also right on him needing to hang out with some kids, other then the ones he meets in detention almost every other week. He simply nodded to show his agreement.

"Cool, then just call the school at this number and I'll be seeing Jataro next week Monday. See ya later!" Ibuki exclaimed this while walking back to the waiting car.

Later that night Jataro couldn't quite fall asleep with all the days events repeating in his mind. He got out of bed and just stared at his mask less reflection in the small dressing mirror in his room. First getting hit by a car, discovering his true face for the first time, meeting 2 teen girls that as far as teens go were pretty nice, getting ice cream, and now joining a club in a place he'd never been. Which of his friends should he tell first? Should he tell anyone at all? Will they treat him different in a good way or a bad way?

 _"Then again we did make a promise as the lil warriors of hope to support each other no matter what. Maybe my news might help them to somehow. Maybe Ibuki has friends who can help my friends to. Even though I don't know if whatever she's planning will really help. For some reason it seems like something I should save in mind though in case it works somehow."_ he thought to himself. It was one of the few positive thoughts he'd had in a while which he hoped could lead to something positive later. He wasn't much of a positive thinker so even having this must of meant something good.

With this all in mind he hopped back into bed and tucked his mask under his pillow feeling a bit anxious for the next day of school but for positive reasons this time.


	3. To be an elite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa and company learn something new from Jataro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing these guys in order of the ones I liked and related to the most to the ones I can't say I relate to but still liked. Next kid here is Nagisa from his POV. Out of all the kids he felt the most caring, self-aware of things, and cause of that I liked him a lot. It happens only once in a blue moon that an enemy gives those shoved into reluctantly being the hero a loop-hole out so gotta give him kudos there to.

Perfection.

It was no exaggeration that some Japanese families set their expectations for perfect grades and success higher then others. Some want it in the more extreme ways then others. They didn't accept just an okay or a pretty great on report cards as good enough but the ultimate perfect scores. When being groomed to one day stand alongside society's elite this isn't completely unreasonable or at least that's what I've been told for a long time now. This is what I know as normal or at least that's what my parents have told me I always needed to think about. My name is Nagisa Shingetsu, I'm currently enrolled in Hope's Peak elementary and for the time being my title is lil little ultimate social studies. I'm one of those children who is being groomed for exactly that.

I'm sure plenty kids are given special medicines and just as strict discipline as me to be the best they can. The shots with what they call my study helping IV tend to stand out on my almost albino skin a bit more then most. Some medinces in the past have made me sick and a few times I almost tore my blue hair off my head because of it but my parents just switched me to something else. I didn't blame them for it since it was only just a prototype so they didn't know. I also get cold fairly quick but my parents have assured me that these things are all my bodies own fault though and has nothing to do with the medicine.

It hasn't completely gone over my head that the title of ultimate social studies isn't the most impressive sounding of ones but its only part of many of my talents and hobbies. Hope's Peak elementary is kind of like a training ground in a sense for not only kids who know their talents but could have potential in having one only they haven't quite pinned it down. For example if a kid had a talent for something vague like cleaning by the time their in high school that could lead to titles like ultimate maid, health inspector, janitor, hand model, etc. Until I know for sure which of my studies I can excel at the best then lil ultimate social studies will have to do

"Okay, can someone here tell me in order which planets are closets to the sun and the farthest?" the teacher Mr. Kanto asked

Two other kids beside me shot up their hands up alongside mine but one of them was picked before I was and started listing them off.

"Mercury, Venus, Earth, Uranus,-" he started.

"Sorry Joey but that's incorrect but good try in the beginning". the teacher cut him off.

 _"Odd to get something we just went over yesterday wrong today but he did at least get the first 3 right. My dad wouldn't even acknowledge the amount I got wright to the wrong ones like this teacher."_ I thought to myself.

I raised my hand again and with a head nod from the teacher began recited the list.

"Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and finally Neptune. Even when Pluto was listed as a planet it would cross into Neptune's orbit every 20 yrs out of out of every 248 years. Pluto last crossed inside Neptune's orbit on February 7, 1979, and temporarily became the 8th planet from the Sun." I added the last part for good measure.

"That is correct , I have know doubt who here is ready for the test coming in a few weeks." said Mr. Kanto

I could hear the multiple mutterings of "teacher's pet", "show off", and "dork" after the bell rang as I was headed off to lunch. These comments didn't bother me much anymore since I knew it came from envy. Though it did keep other kids from wanting to sit near me in home room or lunch time. Save for a small group of kids I somewhat considered friends. I say somewhat cause we only really meet around either lunch or the "special" home room for troublemakers. Other then being able to bound a bit over having home troubles we never really went over to each others houses unless it was to kill time till whatever we didn't feel like dealing with at home cooled over. Don't get me wrong two out of three of them are pretty good kids. Kotoko even though she sometimes has a slightly vulgar sense of humor, has an interest in trivia that almost matches mine plus she has real potential at being a big actress one day. Jataro even though it take him time to remember what he already knows plus can occasionally take as long as kotoko in getting to his point, he is generous and tries to make us happy with some of the projects he works on.

"What's up Naggy-sa?" annoyingly called my 3rd friend Masaru.

I rolled my eyes at the comment and headed to where my friends plus Masaru were. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention him out of the three who I'll admit I sometimes want to strangle till his face matches his red hair. My talent in social studies may not be the most flashy but at least unlike with his it can make me money past the age of 38. He is loud, egotistical, lazy unless he thinks he can make a contest of something. Doesn't help that he makes up the most stupid nicknames for things. The only good thing I can say is that I do sometimes admire his ability to be bold and out of the four of us has been able to defy his parent a little or at least avoid getting hurt for a good portion of time when he can. I'd rather eat a plate of live maggots and worms before telling him that though.

Kotoko was picking peas out her mashed potatoes while reading a magazine, Masaru was going on about some prank he was going pull in gym today, and Jataro who would usually be tearing apart his favorite bbq sloppy joe they served this time of week was simply staring at the sandwich. It wasn't unusual for him to sometimes do that when he was thinking over a question or response but for him to do it while ignoring one of his favorite lunches was a bit odd. The more I watched him it seemed he wasn't so much as staring at the food but at the table with a slightly frustrated look. It was like he was having some internal debate which was a bit unlike him. If he had a question on the slightest random weird thing he usually wasn't embarrassed to vocalize it to anyone with ears that could hear it. After a few minutes of eating my own sandwich and noticing that he was still not looking or responding to anything around him I decided to take action.

"Hey Jataro? Is something wrong? You haven't said anything to Masaru about his story or if you could have Kotoko's peas." I commented.

At the mention of both their names they stopped what they were doing and also seemed to realize just how quiet he was being. All our eyes now on him seemed to bring him back to life as he looked up as if something great just dawned on him. He looked at us one by one then nodded to himself as if finally agreeing to something good. He grabbed his sloppy joe and took a few unhealthy large bites before standing up and out of his seat.

"Um, can you guys come with me for a second? I discovered something and think you should all see it at once". Jataro finally said.

"Eww, this better not be like the time you found half a dead dog and wanted to give it back to its owner is it?"asked Kotoko

"What? But I thought the owner would like to know where the front of his dog was if all he had of him was it's pooping parts. Don't worry though, it shouldn't be that bad". Jataro replied then simply walked off.

Like I said earlier, even though his mind wasn't always right his heart was in the right place.

"5 bucks says its either something he made without permission from the school again or something smelly he found. Race ya there!" Masaru laughed then ran after Jataro.

Kotoko scoffed at the remark then looked at me with a curious expression likely about what I thought could be going on. I couldn't think of an answer since this was Jataro after all. I just shrugged my shoulders and we followed them outside up to the large oak tree where we decided to make a pack as friends. We called ourselves the warriors of hope because we wanted to bring hope to one another's lives by keeping in touch where we could. Jataro even crafted us a group logo that looked like a compass that we could wear like a dress pin. Once we got behind the tree he took a few breaths before finally telling us what was going on.

"Okay umm, yesterday I had a bit of an accident with a car..." he began slowly

My mind instantly started to panic at what he might say next. Why would his parents let him go to school after getting hit by a car? He should of been called off sick or something. His mom I can see doing this but why would his dad agree?

"Did you get some cool cast under your clothes for it or melt any faces when they had to take your mask off?" Masaru blurted out first.

"Masaru! That's seriously the first thing you think of asking when one of us is hit by a car?! Jeez, you are such a jerk sometimes." Kotoko voiced my thoughts exactly.

"What's wrong with the question? He still looks like he has all his limbs plus he always goes on about how he could "melt faces" with his looks." Masaru said oblivious to how uncaring that sounded.

I was about to sucker punch him in the throat for it until Jataro made a surprising comment.

"Well technically he's half right about the second thing he said." he said.

"WHAT REALLY?!" we all exclaimed.

"Well yeah I met these 2 teens at the hospital and they saw me with my mask off. Neither of them melted and I saw myself for the first time to. I've never really met many teens before but they were real nice to me. We talked and they even gave me some ice cream when they took me home. Did you guys know they sell gelato style ice cream around here now in that shop down the street? " jataro explained.

"They gave you ice cream? So your face really doesn't look a mutant puss monster or what?" Masaru asked.

Before either me or Kotoko could chastise back at him for that remark Jataro took off his mask. To say we were shocked was an understatement. I myself never really thought he might have more then some bad form of cleft lip or something minor that his parents put a mask over while overreacting to it but what I saw was just a completely normal kind of a pretty boy face. Other then a visible little scratch on his cheek he looked nothing out of the ordinary. Kotoko was the first of us to respond.

"Oh my gosh, your look super adorbs!" she squealed.

"Wow now at least 2 out of the 4 of us can definitely land a girlfriend in the future. Tough break Nagisa." Masaru said with a grin.

Ignoring his comment I asked what had been on my mind after he mentioned the part about being in a car accident.

"So what did you and the girls talk about?" I asked.

Jataro then explained everything he told the girls who apparently were from the main high school connected with our elementary school. They were a musician and nurse who said that his mother had a sick sense of humor as the likely the real reason he was made to wear his mask. He told us how oddly good it felt to tell someone else besides just us about his problems. None of us honestly thought telling other adults or an adult-about-to-be would help our situation but it seemed to bring some odd pep in Jataro. Both took him home and convinced his parents that being both a high school club while also part of a tutoring program could help him out. I had heard about this program myself but my parents had tutors come from outside town sometimes. Since they usually didn't feel I needed more practice with the subjects given after a while and would leave I never really thought of ones closer by like Hope's Peak Academy.

Reaching into his backpack Jataro fished out a few fliers with the Hope's Peak high school image on it. It was an ad telling details about Hope's Peak high school program for kids of all ages. He handed us each one before explaining why.

"Big sis Ibuki said I should hand these out to any friends of mine that might need tutoring or someone like me for both that and to getting out the house." said Jataro.

We all stood there silent for bit just staring at the papers in our hands. Each of us thinking over what we just learned and a taboo thought planted itself into each of our minds that we never really would of contemplated up till now. Even if they were strict and sometimes violent to us we never really questioned what our parents motives in their actions came from. All of us though maybe it was just what some adults call "tough love" when a parent is harsh in order improve a kids behavior. For Jataro's mom it was simply a cruel joke for her own amusement. Who knows why his dad allowed it but the main thing was that the motive for one of his parents wasn't truly because he didn't look like other boys so it was all a lie. Did that mean all our parents could of been telling us lies up to this point? If so then what was the truth? What could be my parents truth? I've sometimes felt like they make me work harder then humanly healthy but not for any sadistic reasons. When I've sometimes taken longer breaks then they want me to or take to long to eat my meals they have punished me with in various tools and being locked in a very cold time out room. Again though they never seemed like they got any sick thrill from the process.

** Later after school **

I was taking a shortcut through the park to clear my head and think about if my parents would agree to having me tutored by a local academy like Hope's Peak. While I was walking I suddenly heard dogs barking and a man screaming at them to stop. Looking to my right I saw a fairly old looking man chasing after 2 dogs that were fighting. One was a lean and tall with light brown fur and it had an exotic look to it. It was limping on its hind leg while trying to fight back an equally tall looking Dalmatian. The brown one was the only of the 2 with a collar so it was clear which was the old man's dog. Overcome with a need to help the old man and dog I did the first thing that came to mind. I pulled out my emergency whistle out. Then started grabbing some nearby rocks I started throwing them while blowing the whistle as loud as I could. This spooked the other dog enough that it decided to flee and leave the pair alone.

"Oh thank you young sir for the assistance. I would of used my young master's dog whistle to stop this but Seth here was running like a bat out of hell when that other dog came and stole his favorite toy. By the time I realized I needed the whistle I lost it while trying to chase them." the old man said

Now that he was up close I got a better look at him. He was short with a stern looking expression on his face and pale blue eyes. His fairly long hair was completely white and combed backwards. He also had a white beard running down from his temples all the way across his chin, as well as a thin grey mustache. By his attire and fact he used the term "young master" it was safe to assume he was someone's butler.

He then looked at his watch and called the dog named Seth over.

"Terribly sorry but I need to go take Seth to his scheduled vet appointment for his leg. My name is Aloysius Pennyworth by the way and let me know if you ever find my whistle or Seth's toy could you?" Mr. Pennyworth asked while hurrying off.

 _"That was kind of odd but he seemed like a nice old man."_ I thought to myself.

I looked up and noticed that the sky was turning a bit grey. A few drops of rain hit my nose and my first thought was to hurry home but I didn't want to let the toy or whistle of the dog get messed up in rain. Luckily I didn't have to search to long before finding them in a nearby destroyed bush that they likely ran through earlier. The toy was a purple squeaky bone with a number to call if lost printed on it. More rain was starting to fall so I ran home before getting to read the whole address.

**At the Shingetsu's house**

"Father? Mother? I'm home from school. Could you both come down here please?" I called out into the house as soon as I got in. Silence responded back for a few minutes before I could hear the footsteps of both coming into the living room. Even though he isn't all to muscular my father Kazuya Shingetsu is a tall man at 6 ft and kind of intimating when he glares at people with his piercing sky blue eyes that match my own. His hair is a darker blue then mine though but for the most part I've been told I pretty much look like a paler miniature version of him. My mother Kana shingetsu is only slightly shorter then him, brown eyes and with a slight tan to her skin straight carrot top hair. My dad is a one of the science teachers at my school and does research on human behavior. He hasn't told me exactly what his latest projects are but has told me that me getting perfect scores through now till I've completed both high school and college will help one of them somehow.

"Did you get your grades back for that Language class yet son?"My dad asked.

"Not yet but they should be here next week. I'm glad you brought up class though. I wanted to show you something I got from school this morning." I said this with a hopefully convincing smile as I pulled out the sheet of paper and handed it to them.

"Hope's peak academy tutoring program? Hmm, I'll admit I thought about signing you up for the program once but with the types of delinquents I've heard they've started accepting over the years I'm not sure what type of unsavory characters they might stick you with. That and the fields they might have you study might not be relevant to what you need." Father commented.

"But this program only let's teens who excel best at tutoring kids in the subjects they need. They wouldn't just stick me with just anybody doing a crazy unrelated school subject. Even if they do have someone teaching me something I'm not studying at my school you yourself have said its best to learn a few new facts ahead of others. That knowing new material before others can help me succeed in future studies all the more right?" I pleaded.

"Hmm, he makes a fair enough argument dear since we did say that." Mother said.

"Your mother and I will have to discuss it further later but for now I'll have to think on it." Father replied

"Thank you! You won't regret it I promise it." I said then hurried up stairs.

Even though I said they wouldn't regret it I wasn't a 100% sure myself if they or I might regret this choice. I've never thought of myself as a bratty or needy kid and all I ever wanted from my parents was to meet their expectations of me. Maybe in the end my friends parents will turn out to be the only ones with alternative reasons for their actions and mine really are just simply so strict to this extreme out of love. In the back of my mind though maybe I truly know the reason I want to go through with this program is because somewhere in the agenda of my life they could be hiding a despair inducing truth. Would I be truly prepared for such a truth? I couldn't answer that just yet.


	4. To be a healthy person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa meets his new mentor and is put into a new plan.

An early Saturday morning was a day where most children, teens, and adults alike would usually be snoring their cares away. Savoring the sweet feeling of being able to sleep in after a long stressful week of work, tests, and study. For a guy like Kyotaka Ishimaru this was a good time to jog so he could keep his mind and body in shape.

It wasn't for any vain reason of course but he believed the human body was a temple and just like the brain it needed to be exercised to be kept in order. That and his family's car was under repair right now. They honestly needed a new one but that was more then they could afford at the moment. It had been raining off and on through this week and right now in particular the sidewalks were slightly muddy but that didn't bother him to much. In the past he'd avoid them but thanks to his friends like Makoto and Mondo he learned to relax a little more and enjoy a bit more of the silly little things in life outside of school work or dress code.

Despite trying to loosen up a bit he did still think of school or school related things as he jogged. Right now he thought about how he would do with the kid he was assigned to tutor later today. He had tutored kids in the past and done fairly well but with younger kids it was sometimes difficult to get them to listen. He was only recently getting use to bonding with kids his own age after all. Younger kids even if he was trying to be casual and nice could be fairly rude. He did some research and found out the Shingetsu family was a fairly famous family in an upper class area where a few of his other classmates lived. The father was an award winner for his unorthodox but apparently great study methods on the human mind. He was also a teacher at alternative elementary school to Hope's Peak High school called Hope's Peak elementary. Taka hoped like him this child would have a special talent that maybe they could bond over and make cooperating with studying less difficult then some of the younger kids he tutored in the past.

 _"I hope he isn't another rich kid who just wants me to do all his homework for him."_ Kyotaka thought to himself.

It wasn't that he didn't like giving kids help with a little head start on their homework if he could nor that he had anything against people in upper class society. He even knew a select few wealthy kids in Hope's Peak that were so casual, social, sloppy, and carefree that until he got to know them more he wouldn't of though they came from millions. Some even worth billions. That didn't mean a lot of the others he had the unfortunateness to meet didn't behave beyond rude, lazy and pushy. That went for both kids in his school and those he tutored where the parents didn't even care. These kids knew nothing about hard work and didn't want to know it. One kid even tried to put his hair on fire and instead of being livid with the child, the parents yelled at **him** for scolding the brat on how what he did would get him sent to jail in the future. Entitled kids like that had no respect for those inside a school environment or those outside of one.

Ironically enough with this thought in mind he looked up while passing the popular local deli and then noticed a new billboard he couldn't help but frown at it.

_**"TOGAMI CORP: EACH GENERATION MEANS GREAT THINGS FOR THE WORLD."** _

Beside the text on the banner there was a photo of his fellow classmate and textbook definition of an entitled kid, Byakuya Togami. His long legs folded in a large fancy chair with him posed without his glasses on his face but in one of his hands that sat on his lap. His other hand was holding his head as it leaned back. The expression he wore made him look even more pretentious then the banner's text did.

 _"What is an advertisement or photo like that suppose inspire anyway? The text might mean more without that photo at least."_ he thought

Even though Byakuya Togami never attempted to put his head on fire he knew how to get into people's minds and almost anyone's skin with his rude behavior just for kicks. He liked trying to see the possible inner good in most people but he just couldn't see it much in that guy. According to Makoto even though he didn't show it a lot he was quote on quote "friendly in his own way, its just very deep down and he's just very subtle with it". He wasn't completely sure if that was true or Makoto was just being overly polite. Also according to Makoto he claimed to have earned his title through some type of battle but he wasn't sure how much of that was true. He prayed that whoever this kid was wouldn't be a mini version of Togami.

**Shingetsu Household**

Kyotaka checked his bag over one more time for all study supplies he might possibly need before looking up at the home of the child he was assigned then range the doorbell. It was a tall white fenced, yellow brick house with a black tile roof. It looked big enough for five. Not a mansion but no doubt a pricey house.

"I'll get it!" A young voice called from within. Not to long after the owner of that voiced appeared at the door. He was a pale looking boy with light sky blue hair and eyes. His hair was styled in a way that kind of made it look like he had horns which reminded taka a bit of his friend Ibuki. He was wearing a casual white dress jacket with grey stripes and matching pants. Another thing he noticed was that he already had a backpack of books on him so he was prepared.

"Hello, are you the tutor Hope's peak high school sent?" asked the boy.

"Yes and you must be Nagisa Shingestu. My name is Kyotaka Ishimaru and I hope to help you on your educational crusade to the best of my abilities. Also I'd like if you just called me Taka to keep things casual." Taka said.

The boy just gave a nod and small smile before gesturing him to come inside. They got as far as half way up the stairway before a somewhat intimidating voice called from downstairs.

"Son, who was at the door? It better not be any of those mentally defective children from your school. I told you they aren't allowed on this property." said the voice.

Before Nagisa could reply a tall man came from another room near the stair case. He was dressed in a brown dress shirt and black pants with a stern expression that only eased slightly when he spotted Kyotaka. He eyed him over for a moment before speaking again. In one of his hands was a black briefcase.

"Ah, so you must be the tutor they sent to train my son. You don't look like a delinquent but they do say looks can be deceiving. I hope you will introduce my son to study methods that will actually help him in school." the man said.

Kyotaka tried to shrug off the man's comment as that of a protective parent. He was after all a stranger in this man's house. Even still something about the man gave him an oddly cold vibe. On top of that what he said about "defective children" seemed very crude. Looking at Nagisa he didn't look the type to hang out with bad kids. This was something that he might bring up with Nagisa when he wanted to break the ice between studies but for now he had to assure the adult he meant no harm. He walked down the stairs and gave him a polite bow before extending his hand toward the man.

"Greetings good sir, I am Kyotaka Ishimaru and I can assure you I'm the farthest thing from a delinquent as can be. I am known at Hope's peak academy as the ultimate moral compass and as such will guide him in his tutoring to be the best. I've heard great things about your work and feel the chance to tutor your son an honor." Kyotaka said with a humble smile.

"I'm Kazuya Shingetsu and I've heard both great and bad things about the name Ishimaru. For a the child of such a legacy's background to be in Hope's peak I guess they could of selected worse. I'll expect a summary report of what studies you go over with him on when your done." Kazuya stated. It sounded less like a request and more like a demand. Without waiting for a reply from the teen he turned without shaking Ishimaru's hand and walked out.

"Uh, well your father seems like a very busy man I see." Kyotaka said

"Sorry about that Mr.Ishimaru but he teaches at my school so yeah he can be like that sometimes ." Nagisa said.

"Oh no there is no need to apologize and like I said earlier please just call me Kyotaka or taka. I'm here to tutor you but I want to also be your friend in a way. Do you want study now or eat first?" taka asked.

"I want to study for a bit first because I'd like to go over some of my Language homework for today." the boy suggested.

Nodding his head in agreement the moral compass followed Nagisa up to his room that to him seemed surprisingly bland for a child so young. Being a kid and especially a wealthy one he expected it look like a luxury hotel room with top dollar toys all over it like on TV but instead it was 4 blank bland white walls with stacks of books around the place. The bed looked especially small and uncomfortable. The closest things to decorations were a few cabinets, a desk clock, and a study lamp. Even then they looked more like the kinds someone would have in a business office. As he walked in he suddenly had the weirdest feeling of being watched and slowing looked up to only then notice the camera in the corner of the ceiling.

It was likely there for safety reasons and that wasn't to unusual to see in some houses so he tried to not give it to much mind.

Nagisa reached into his backpack pulled out a large binder. "Here is my Language homework and notes for this week." he said.

For the next 2 hours both of them went over his notes plus homework for Language and Mathematics. The boy had very good note taking skills and didn't get any of the questions wrong. When Taka glanced at the clock again he noticed it was the afternoon. This seemed like a good time to call for a study break.

"Okay Nagisa, I think this is a good place to take a short rest and have something to eat!"Taka announced.

"Are you sure I shouldn't go over this stuff a little longer?"Nagisa asked.

"I like your dedication to study but yes I think a lunch break would be good now. We aren't machines after all and if you study to long with no food it can make focusing hard." Taka explained.

"Um, isn't that what IV's with anesthesia and Modafinil are for?" Nagisa questioned

Taka looked at him confused and shocked for a moment then decided he must of been joking before turning to leave the room.

"Oh my, I really didn't picture you the dark sense of humor type Nagisa. You really had me for a second."he said with a slightly forced chuckle.

If he was still looking at the boy he would of noticed the completely serious look on his face and how he self consciously clinched his left arm.

Once they were both down stairs Kyotaka walked into the kitchen to find something to make sandwiches with. It was the first time he'd ever seen what looked like a fridge with 5 doors on it. He opened the top door expecting to find ice for drinks only to find what looked like multiple liquid filled bottles and what looked like medical packs.

"Not to be to personal but do you or your parents have some type of medical conditions Nagisa?" he asked.

"No, those are to help me study with. Since my body is to weak to stay up for longer then 8 hours and my grades don't meet my parents expectations I'm given those so I can study longer." the blue haired boy explained.

Kyotaka could only stare wide eyed at both the refrigerator's contents and at the news he just received. In the past he had pushed himself to the extreme to achieve good grades but even then it was to a reasonable extent. Even if its for a good goal, to put your health at risk with ingesting this many chemicals was just plain mad.

"How long do they have you staying up to need these many medicines?" Taka asked.

"Usually just 3 to 4 days straight but that's not uncommon for some other kids out there isn't it? Especially if their parents want them to be the best right?"Nagisa asked.

"That's 96 hours without sleep! Its not just uncommon but extremely unhealthy. No adult should stay up that long or have these many chemicals in their body let alone a child your age. Staying up to long can leave you not only more unfocused in work but cause future health problems for you. Being the best means you should be keeping both your body and mind healthy. I'm certain your parents would understand if I tried to explain a different study plan for you."Ishimaru explained

"No! My parents have me doing this method of study to help with my father's research. If I tell him I want to try something else it might ruin it and I'll just whined up disappointing both my parents like with my last report card." Nagisa said with a bit of panic in his voice. He was also starting to shake a little now to. Taka tried to comfort the boy with a pat on the shoulder.

"Hey now you've got no need to worry about something like that. I haven't met them both but I'm sure if they truly care that much about you being the best at studies then they'll understand you need to be in better physical health for that to happen. Surely they can put the study on hold or change tactics for their own child's healthy well being. If not I can try and persuade them if I can. What was your last report card anyway?" Taka asked.

"4 A pluses, 2 Bs, and 1 C, so all over it was disappointing."Nagisa said

"You mean just because of the one C? If its just one subject you need help with then that's nothing to fret over. All we have to do is work extra on that one subject specifically and-"Taka began before being cut off.

"No! Its not just that one subject. Didn't you hear me? I got 2 Bs as well. I'm expected to have all A pluses like the other kids."Nagisa cut in.

"Do all of your other classmates have this much pressure on them for grades?" Taka asked.

"Well, I don't really know about the others. I've only got a few kids in school I hang out with and none of them are all that concerned about it like me." he admitted.

"Oh that's right, your father did say you hanged around with um..." He paused not really wanting to use the same term the father had. There was an awkward silence for a few seconds while taka tried to think of a better and less insulting term to use so Nagisa saved him the trouble.

"The kids he was referring to are my few friends in homeroom and another period after school for trouble makers. The kids who cause or get into fights, pull pranks, are tarty more then twice, and just generally act inappropriately. I'm in there for getting into a few arguments about my grades with teachers and pointing out mistakes I think their making with the equations they explain to us. My friends aren't really all that bad though." Nagisa explained.

"I'm sure their good people in their own ways. Listen,you seem like a smart and good kid Nagisa but to be one of the best wherever you go requires you to not just have a strong healthy mind but be strong and healthy in the body. The reason for your poor scores isn't because your not studying enough but your long study schedule along with lack of exercise is wearing down your mind and your body. From this day forth I'm going to recommend a new study plan and help you get into shape. I didn't become captain of the debate team for no reason. I'm sure I can persuade your both your parents into altering your study plan." Kyotaka said this then gave Nagisa a thumbs up.

Nagisa knew his father and mother weren't easy people to argue with but hearing that someone was at least willing to try. Willing to help him get better without looking down at what he lacked. This started to fill the boy with at least a bit more hope.

 


	5. Be a man!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's late and Masaru is just finishing his favorite show while thinking what the next day will bring.

_"...And thus once again the day is saved! Thanks to the boom brigade!"_

The ending credits rolled and a bright red tomato haired boy tried his best to sing the lyrics to his favorite cartoon's ending theme song quietly. To be quiet wasn't something he was the best at being but he knew there were times and places to try.

If he got to loud it might awaken his father from his usual half drunk naps. If that happened he might have to endure his wrath and unlike on TV the boom brigade wouldn't be coming to the rescue. Masaru Diamon didn't know much about all the realities of the world nor did he try to but that didn't mean he didn't know one of the sad and lame things about it was that it was nothing like TV. It was hard to believe it but at one point he actually had a pretty good relationship with his father back when his mother was around. He was to small to remember what happened but something happened at his father's workplace happened that got both his parents upset. He could remember the first sign of something wrong happening when he was awoken from his afternoon nap by his mother yelling on the phone.

_ Flashback begins _

"Calm down honey! You'll get fired for screaming like this even if you are in the parking lot!"his mother said.

His parents were Nathen and Chrissy daimon. Childhood sweethearts that married when at their schools 20yr reunion. Chrissy was a sarcastic pixie haired blond and Nathen was a red haired all star jock until a leg injury ruined his promising career in football. Now he worked for fairly well paying but very boring law firm. Along with his leg his figure was starting to go and it was starting to affect his confidence in a lot of ways. His wife joked while pregnant that he shouldn't worry since now they were both going to lose their looks when her pregnancy was over. She only really gained a little weight but she tried to reassure him that he didn't have to worry over his looks since neither of them were getting any younger and he shouldn't let that bother him. What she didn't know was just how much his confidence affected his ego. An ego that started to go from small complaints about himself to big accusations about her. What she wore, if he thought she wasn't wearing enough, wearing to much make-up, to little make up, etc.

There was a brief silence that followed before she responded again but this time in a slightly less loud tone but still audible for him since he was kneeling on the stairs now.

"I was bringing you lunch because I wanted to see you. What makes you think I was there to flirt with any of those wrinkly old men at your job?" she asked.

This time the silence was less brief before she talked again.

"Okay and? Just because one them made some perverted ass flirty remark at me doesn't mean I was thinking about flirting back." she said in an irritated tone.

Her face scrunched up like she was holding off an angry laugh with whatever he said next.

"More money then you? Is that promotion you got tricked out of what this is really about? Just because some other guys got your promotion doesn't mean I'm going to leave you for them. From what I recall you even telling me about the position the promotion was only a dollar higher then what your paid now. What is that to cheat over?...What?! You know that's not even what I meant! Don't put words in my mouth!" She was stomping her foot now.

His father's voice could be heard in a muffled scream over the receiver now even as she held the phone away at arms length from her face. It was somewhere in his muffled rant that she turned her head to the side and noticed Masaru looking at her from the steps. His little face half sleepy and confused about all the noise. His baby blue eyes stared at her questioningly for an answer to what all the weird stuff he just heard was about.

"Listen honey I'm hanging up now. No I'm not trying to avoid the issue, all your yelling woke up Masaru and now I have to put him back to bed. We can continue this when you get home."she said with a sigh.

She now turned to Masaru and picked him up. At least for his sake she was able to conjure a slight smile on her face when she spoke.

"Sorry all that noise woke you up honey. Mama was just telling papa he was overreacting to something today. I know you aren't going to want to go back to sleep now until you work off that energy you got moving from the bed to stairs like that." she said.

Seeing her smile made him feel happy again but now like mama guessed, he didn't feel like going to sleep again right away after being woken up.

"Do you want to play in the backyard swings and teeter totter for a bit till your sleepy again?" she asked.

She pointed to said playground equipment through the screen door outside. She knew he didn't really understand everything she was saying but he knew when she pointed to yard it meant playtime. He looked up at her and smiled a half toothless smile at her before jumping up and down.

"Swing and fly! Swing and fly! Swing and fly!" he chanted excitedly now that he was more awake.

"That's right Masaru, your going to go flying on the swings till your sleepy again or until your father comes home. Whichever comes first."she said with a grin.

There were few kids who could play for as long on the playground till it was late in the day like Masaru could. It was as if he had the energy of 10 sugar high kids combined. Because of this he didn't even notice when his dad finally came home hours later nor did he notice that behind him that his parents were fighting again. The screen door was soundproof so he didn't hear them yelling at each other. They weren't within view of the screen door but if it was open the entire neighborhood would of likely noticed their argument. The only thing to draw his attention back to the house was a frog he was trying to catch that was hopping its way up to the door.

He felt proud of himself for catching such a fast frog and wanted to show his mama it. He used the backyard's rake like his mama showed him to slide the door open then walked inside.

"Mama! Mama?" he shouted.

He didn't need to look far for mama because he eventually found her slumped against the kitchen table. As far as he could tell she must of hurt herself cooking or something because she was holding her head and red stuff was on her arm and some on her face.

"Mama? Mama okay?" he questioned.

She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. She hadn't noticed him at first but the second she did she hugged him and laughed. He dropped the frog in surprise from her reaction. Even to his little mind something seemed off about her laugh. It was like one of those fake forced laughs people make at bad jokes so they don't hurt a person's feelings.

"Yes Masaru, mama is completely fine. She just had a little argument with daddy and is a bit sad but they say laughing can help pain go away." She said while rubbing her face clean with a towel.

"I think its time both of us have a nap okay?"She said with a slightly less forced smile now.

For the next few months Masaru's mother could be found either in the kitchen every other week in a similar state to that day or over at his grandma's. She always still came around to visit until eventually the months became years and he never saw or heard from her again.

One day he finally decided to ask his dad where his mother was and got an unexpected reply.

"Isn't it obvious? She abandoned the family because of you. She got sick of how childish you are and nothing like a man in the making should be." He said coldly.

"What?! I thought she loved me! How can we get her back?" Masaru asked in almost teary panic.

"We don't do anything, it's **you** who has to start doing tasks around the house like a man. If you can do that maybe I can write back to your mom on how much of a better son and man you are. First thing I want you to do is go buy me some beers. I just finished my last case and need more to watch the big game coming up soon. Handle that well enough and I'll at least think about writing. Here is twenty bucks and I expect exact change back." father said.

Masaru's math skill were never that great but he did as he was told and went to try and get the beers only to in run into a new problem.

"What do you mean I have to be 21 to buy it?! I'm not the one who's going to drink the gross smelling stuff anyway. Its for my dad and I even have money!" Masaru exclaimed.

"Sorry junior but that's the law. Either become 21 in the next 5 seconds or get your dad to come get it if its really for him. " said the cashier. Minors trying to buy alcohol with fake ID's and giving a fake age wasn't uncommon there.

Masaru didn't want to disappoint his dad but couldn't think what else to do. Purely on impulse he decided that when the man behind the counter wasn't looking he'd snatch the beers and make a run for it. He could always send them money later or something.

_**10 minutes later** _

"Sir, is this your child?" asked an officer holding Masaru's arm.

Apparently the cashier was faster then he first thought and paying later for drinks you want wasn't how buying food works.

"Sadly yes." Replied Masaru's dad.

"Since this is a first time offence and he is just a minor the store owner won't press charges. Your son is however banned from going into his store without an adult though." the officer explained.

"I understand and don't worry it won't happen again" his father promised.

The second the officer closed the door his father glared at him and silently pointed for him to go to his room. His father came in a moments later with a belt and beat him for a solid 15 minutes. All the while he screamed at him for being a failure to the name Daimon and that he better shape up or his father would be the next one to disappear from his life.

The next day he sent him to a different store and this time stole the beers without getting caught by being a little more cautious. That and wearing his backpack helped out to.

_End of flashback_

Since that day he still got beatings from his father for doing tasks either wrong or not good enough. Whether these things were around the how tasks or items for his "tests of manhood" as his father called them it didn't matter, Masaru did them all out of the hopes of seeing his mother again.

With the final cut scenes of the his show over, Masaru knew he needed to go to bed so he had the energy to meet with his new tutor. Conveniently enough whoever it was also was going to be the his school's new coach's assistant. His mind was all over the place with ideas of what they'd be like and if telling them about his problems was a good idea. He wasn't completely sure the real problem at this point was his father or himself since it was his own fault his mom was gone.

 _"I wonder if they'll show me a better way to improve at my manhood tests."_ One part of him thought.

A thought that felt slightly more dangerous came to his mind as well. Since Jataro's reveal to them about the lies a parent could hide it popped into his mind on the way home. He didn't want to even consider it to long or he didn't know how to feel if it turned out to be part of a terrible question he thought before when he was younger. Something he buried deep down into the back of his head the second the question passed by because it was just stupid. His father was an all star with manly trophy's as proof. All stars deserved respect, they were constantly confident, and people loved them like heroes. They brought people together so there was just no way it could be possible. Still the though even now was scratching slightly in his the far off buried place of his head.

_"Could I really be the reason mama's gone? If its not me and dad lied then that would only mean..."_

He started shaking his head and laughed slightly before his mind fully completed the thought. No, his parents both loved him and each other. If something silly like that was true his mom would of told him or taken him with her. She gave him hugs, toys, taught him how to tie his shoes, and all the fun stuff moms are suppose to. No way would she just leave unless it was something he did. He really did have some thoughts that were dumb even to himself.

With that in mind he decided to go try and sleep by counting rockets in his head until he fell asleep.


	6. Tears, lies, and when you show them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kotoko is both extra excited and extra nervous about meeting her knew club members.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up to this point all these chapters were already pre-done on Fanfiction.net but in the case of this one it's my last update there and thus my last update for the time being here. 
> 
> That doesn't mean I've given up on this story but I'm now working on both the next chapter in both this and other works so it might be a while before I add another chapter to this.

**upupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupupuupup**

The world can be a very confusing place whether your a kid, teen, or adult living in it. It could be argued that one of the most confusing things in this world was the human mind no matter how much it was studied. There were just so many questions a person could ask about the human mind and especially that of the adult mind.

Why did adults start wars over petty and dumb stuff? Why did adults name things lame names like flea markets when they don't sell fleas? How come they tell kids that lying is wrong but then turn around expect them to keep secrets?

Kotoko Utsugi was always a curious child who thought of the latter of these questions a lot. Mostly it was the one about keeping secrets that bothered her the most. She knew things very few kids her age in class knew about sex and fewer felt comfortable talking about. It wasn't like sex ed or adult aimed entertainment wasn't a thing in Japan but usually kids her age didn't think about it or talk about it that much. When Jataro revealed the concept of telling other adults about her situation, it made her feel hesitant since she never really met any adults that seemed to care about what she was made to do.

It didn't escape her that it wasn't a totally normal thing. If it was then she wouldn't get sent to detention so much for asking older girls and adult female teachers about things like their first time with a guy or if kids her age could get pregnant. When she'd get in trouble for this and asked why she was asking these questions she could only answer half honestly with claiming to just be curious.

She was scared that if she mentioned any of this then her mom might get in trouble and that would make her mom cry. Her mom made her promise never to tell her classmates or teachers about what she liked to call her "secret auditions" for roles in plays and movies. Weirdly the scenes were never repeated for the actual finished projects which made her feel embarrassed she had to let strangers be "gentle" to her for what ended up being nothing. Mom said it would somehow help them pay the bills though.

If it was really true that there were adults out there that would care or help then she had to at least attempt to think positive. Being the lil ultimate drama meant that at least pretending to be positive was an easy task but actually feeling positive was another thing entirely.

Using her talent she was able to convince her parents with tears and some exaggerated hand jesters that she needed a to join a physical education club so she could improve on her P.E. courses. Plus maybe some other clubs for extra credit. Not many places beyond Hope's peak academy had the best people for advice in that area. She found it odd how quick they were to say yes to her request as they had. The school had club presidents volunteer to come over or have a student come over to check out what they were about.

The fact that she was currently sitting at a desk made for bigger kids while waiting for her new mentor or mentors felt surreal. It was as surreal as those dreams she'd been having recently where she was dressed as a pretty fairy tale princess in a tower and a shadowed silhouette of a prince on a red Pegasus would be approaching. He was coming to save her. However just before she can get a good look at his face, when he's taking off his helmet she wakes up. In other dreams she imagines herself the heroine who'd be saving the princess. She'd be dressed as the prince and wakes up just before the princess could reveal her face behind her veil.

After what felt like a century of waiting even though it was only a few minutes, a girl came in the room that Kotoko was surprised to say she recognized from TV. There was no mistaking her beautiful long blue hair anywhere and fair white skin. Even dressed in a normal school girl uniform there was no mistaking her unless you were a foreigner.

"Ahhhh! Aren't you Sayaka Maizono?!" Kotoko couldn't help but squeal a bit at meeting one of her favorite celebs.

"Haha, yes that's me and you must be looking into being a new member of my dance club right?" asked the ultimate pop star.

"Yes! I'm Kotoko Utsugi and its a dream come true to meet you! I've have all your albums, a few of your calendars to, soda brands, plush toys, and-" she would of kept going on if Sayaka didn't cut her off with a polite giggle.

"I'm getting your a big fan of mine but right now just think of me as a normal girl like you. Okay?"she asked.

"Oh, of course."Kotoko replied.

"Before I show you the club why don't you tell me about yourself a little? Its only fair I get to know some stuff about you since you seem to at least know some stuff about me." the pop sensation asked.

"Um, okay I like movies, game shows, peeled chestnuts, hate unpeeled chestnuts, my dad's dentists, and love all things adorable." she listed off.

"Interesting stuff and for your parents to let you want to expand to doing all this new stuff to discover they must really love you."Sayaka said.

Kotoko always liked to think she was a pretty good lil actress and had started getting better with reading people who were just as good or not so good. She wasn't sure if it was just her nerves making her see things but Sayaka's eyes seemed be look confused about something for a moment before going back to happy.

"Yep, your totally right!"Kototo replied

Truth be told like most fans of musicals and TV idols she only knew about Sayaka through what the media allowed her to know. As a girl who'd already gone through the naïve kid star days she knew the phonies, the smooth talkers, liars, and to a proud extend believed she had an eye for details. Nowhere near as good as her friend Kirigiri of course but still pretty good.

She noticed how her last statement for some reason made the kid's natural cute smile strain a lot and she was starting to squeeze her hands together unconsciously. It wasn't any of her business to pry and she didn't want to make the girl uncomfortable.

It was her job to make sure she was having fun while forgetting her troubles and smile a real smile. It was possible that her parents were shoving her into doing all these clubs she honestly didn't care about. Just so they could brag and they wouldn't be the first to try it. Regardless she was determined to at least make sure she wasn't feeling pressured throughout her stay. Even if she wound up not joining any of the clubs she should still enjoy herself at her own pace.

"Hey, before I take you to the dance room do you want to see what the other clubs are doing?" Sayaka offered.

"What?! We can really do that?"Kotoko said while bouncing excitedly.

"Sure, I think my friend Ibuki is practicing a routine right now in band club but she probably wouldn't mind us dropping by. She told me that a kid from your school even joined recently! Maybe its someone you know?" she said with a grin.

The duo got half way down the hallway before what sounded to kotoko like a dozen guitars going through a wood chipper blasted out throughout the hallway. The sudden noise made the pink haired girl jump and cover her ears. The popstar was apparently use to the sound since she simply rubbed her chin thoughtfully before grinning in realization of something.

"Oh that's right,I forgot Ibuki was doing some rehearsal work today!" Sayaka shouted loud enough for Kotoko to hear.

"Who?!"Kotoko asked equally as loud.

"A friend of mine, let's go see how she's doing first!"

Before she could protest Sayaka dragged her all the way to the school's auditorium where the door looked like it wanted to fall off it's new hinges from the vibrations. Only once Sayaka open the door did the music finally stop.

"Hey Ibuki! I forgot you said you were practicing something new today."Sayaka said to the rock star.

The girl on the stage she assumed was Ibuki was swinging back and forth on stage by a harness.

"Hellooooo there Sayaka! Glad you came here just on time to see a sample of my next show. Me and my little buddy jat jat were just rehearsing a scene. Lower me down Jat Jat it's take five time." Ibuki said to someone behind the curtains.

"Jat Jat?" both questioned at the same time.

"Oh, that's the nick name of my new assistant, he's a bit shy but a real sweet kid. Come on out and say hi to the ladies Jat Jat don't be rude!" Ibuki shouted.

As if on cue a boy half covered in paint and paper emerged from the stage curtains.

"Jataro!?" she exclaimed. He had told them he met a girl named Ibuki which was a pretty common name and that he'd be somewhere on campus but she didn't think it was this one. He looked just as surprised to see her as she was to see him and waved both overly long sleeved arms in greetings. He was still wearing his normal clothes and signature mask. Even though he was a little comfy when they were alone to take it off he seemed still shy about it in public still.

"Hi Kotoko! Did you see the last part of the act? I helped with the background decorations." He said happily.

Now that he mentioned it she finally took notice of the whole stage. Three large maneki-neko statues in vibrant red and purple colors were in the background with what looked like a hand painted backdrop of Los Vegas. A large UFO prop was hanging in the foreground. Even though none of those things together made sense to her it was oddly impressive still.

"We missed it but what's all this for?" Kotoko asked.

"The next school peep rally is coming up and I wanna put on a wicked performance to really get the crowed pumped up. Hey! Do you guys wanna help out?"Ibuki asked

"It looks like fun and we might drop by later but right now I just wanted take kotoko quick look at each club she's interested in first." Sayaka explained to Ibuki.

"We'll if she's interested in any sports then the sports club leader is at the pool right now and probably will be done with her laps when you get there if Ibuki had to guess." Ibuki mentioned

 _"How can she guess something like that?"_ Kotoko thought.

The duo then made their way down to the schools pool. Only 2 girls were in the swimming pool area and neither were swimming. One of them at least look like she had just finished swimming and was toweling off her hair while the other was fully dressed in the school's standard brown uniform. She was on the benches clicking away on a laptop lost in concentration.

The first thing Kotoko noticed about the girl with the towel who was now waving in greetings to them, was how flawless her dark brown hair was and well endowed her body was. She had ocean blue eyes and an infectious smile on her face.

 _"Mom would probably say she'd hope I look that pretty when I'm older. Pretty does means more attention after all but I can't imagine how much attention that would bring. Hopefully not as much as mother claims bodies like that get."_ She was broken from these thoughts when the other girl started speaking.

"Hi Sayaka, I just finished my laps and Kyoko was keeping score for me. Is that the girl who was going to check out some of the school clubs today? Nice to meet you! I'm Aoi Asahina but my friends just call me hina so you can to if you want." Aoi greeted cheerfully.

"Hello, I'm Kotoko Utsugi and I don't swim that often but I'd love to see what its all about here. Is that girl over there apart of the club to?" she asked.

"Nice to meet you and nope, that girl is just a friend of mine who I asked to help keep score of my time since I wanna improve it by at least 10 seconds. I may be the ultimate swimming pro but there's always room to improve so I can never stop trying." explained the brunette.

At some point while they were talking the girl from the bleachers must of gotten up but was so quiet and quick Kotoko didn't notice her until she was standing next to Hina and spoke.

"You only passed your previous record by 5 seconds but you've still got at least a few more weeks before any swim meets so I wouldn't worry to much." she said.

Now that she was closer and Kotoko got a better look at the girl she was a mix of beautiful with an odd mysterious vibe. If she was honest she was a bit intimidating looking. Her long light lavender locks clashed with the brown school girl uniform but still looked good on her. It was mainly her pretty but sharp lavender eyes that seem to give off the message that she was smart and friendly enough but, both could and likely would wreak any one who got on her nerves. When said eyes landed on Kotoko they did at least soften a tad.

"Oh Kyoko this is Kotoko, the girl I wanted to introduce your journalist club to." Sayaka said to the girl now known as Kyoko.

She put on her best smile and tried not to look at all nervous in front of both of these new strangers as she extended her hand to shake in greetings. Hina gave her a playful high while Kyoko gave soft but firm handshake. The purple haired girl then for some reason put her hand gently on her shoulder as she introduced herself properly. She knelt down a bit so they were eye level.

"Hello, I'm Kyoko Kirigiri and you don't have to be so nervous just because where high school students. All of us are just regular people and some of us just happen to be a little better at some things then others." she said.

"H-How did you know I was nervous? I mean I'm not _really_ that nervous about being here or anything but I didn't think it showed. Lil ultimate drama is my title after all. I hope this doesn't mean I'm slipping with age." asked the pink haired girl.

The joke at the end earned light hearted laughs from the girls around her before Kyoko responded.

"That's a good talent to have but no matter how good an actor or actress is they always have a tell. Tells are like an unconscious habit when a person lies or gets anxious about something. Things from forced laughing, repeating certain phrases, or twitching, to name a few are all types of tells. In your case you play with your hair and strain your smile a bit out of nerves. That and anyone meeting new people in a place like this would feel a bit nervous anyway." Kyoko explained.

She vaguely remembered hearing something similar in a few spy movies she'd seen before but it was still surprising to hear said in real life. Taking a quick glace at her hands she discovered her right one was indeed twirling a loose stripe of her hair mindlessly without her noticing it. Upon now noticing it though she made her hand stop and tried keeping it to her side. She could feel heat going to her face in embarrassment from not noticing it before. This girl didn't seem to just have sharp eyes but a sharp mind as well.

"Your talent isn't the ultimate spy or assassin is it?" She could help ask the question.

"No, I'm the ultimate detective though I suppose some of the skills a spy or assassin would need are similar to some degree. "Kyoko replied.

"Cooooool." she said with a grin.

"Haha, I gotta admit when I first met Kyoko I honestly thought she might of been a spy or something to until I got to know her." said Hina.

She didn't get to go see what the journalist club room looked like that day since some girl named Toko lost the keys again while stalking some guy she apparently had a crush on. Kotoko assured them though that she was interested in spending time with each club person she'd met so far and couldn't wait to find out more about them tomorrow. The 4 girls she met today were all beautiful and it intimidated her more then a little bit. She didn't know if beautiful people wanted to bothered with something as ugly as her problems. They probably didn't even have many if any of their own. They all carried themselves with real confidence that she as an actress could only pretend to have.

Even still with all that in her mind she did feel like she had taken at least a tiny step somewhere. She hoped maybe even if they couldn't help her with her problems at home that they could make her own confidence become more then just an act. She now knew a thing or to about lying thanks to Kyoko so even if she didn't know what to do with the knowledge she might be able to see when if ever her parents love to her was genuine.

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	7. A tale of bikes, sports, and management

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of Hope's peak best sport's manager's and one relatively good-ish biker gang leaders are both going to train the future Olympians of Japan. A particular red headed boy catches their interest while under their watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing much to say today other then I'm glad I got some nice feedback from those who commented and some by just viewing it. Sometimes I have overly ambitious ideas that I don't have the writing skills to make said idea work. That or I lose the drive cause I eventually realize all it was to begin with was an idea with zero stage planning. I'm not sure entirely where this story stands but I do know I have an end goal and whether or not it's reached perfectly or sloppily I just hope people can enjoy the ride regardless.

Schools have for the longest time debated on what subjects are truly necessary or unnecessary for kids to take, such as art, music, and even certain forms of Mathematics.

One course that is undeniably important no matter what others say is physical education or P.E. for short. Who cares if you know everything about how repairing a car works if you get overly winded just trying to change one tire? Even if you have something not so physically demanding like an office job you can get mentally stressed. If both body and mind aren't in good condition it can lead to some pricey painful problems later on.

Walking through the small doors Hope's peak elementary were 2 tall muscular young teens who knew this importance well. They were there to show the miniature future generation of athletes everything they needed to know. At least one of them was, the other just needed the extra credit but promised to still help out.

"So where's the fucking old man that's suppose to be instructing us with these damn brats again?" said the one needing extra credit.

Mondo Oowada couldn't say he was that found of kids but he didn't exactly hate them either. He'd get stuck babysitting a few of his cousin's kids from time to time and they could be alright when they didn't mess with his bike or his hair when he fell asleep. Regardless he could already feel this was going to be a long day. He liked how his light brown hair was style in it's usual long pompadour and didn't think it looked "inappropriate" as the school board implied so despite them telling him to change it he kept it. To keep them off his back about the dress code though is the only reason he agreed to not wear his usual long black jacket, and biker pants. That and his current annoying partner in this program wouldn't shut up until he wore the stupid looking gym uniform.

"WATCH YOUR DAMN LANGUAGE DANG IT WE"RE IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! Oh and I forgot to mention it but coach Keishin had some other business that popped up so it's just us but don't worry, I've got his planner on me so I know we can handle it." replied said annoying partner.

Nekomaru Nidai might not of been the quietest or smartest of people but even Mondo knew he was very good at his job. Otherwise he wouldn't be Hope's peak high school's top ultimate team manager. He was as big, intense, and passionate as he was burly which was very much so. Even his sleek short black hair and blue with white streaked track uniform at times seem to reverberate off his energy at times.

Some special intuition within him just knew the right sport and regiment that others needed. It was because of this freaky intuition he somehow got Mondo into football and a bit of baseball too. He didn't have as deep a passion about them as Nekomaru did but it gave him something to do when he wasn't with his biker gang and even he had to admit he felt a lot less stressed after getting into them. He was still a hot head from time to time but compared to when he first entered hope's peak, thanks to his classmates and Nekomaru's massages he wasn't as bad as before.

Most of the time at least.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be as good as a fu- I mean freaking choir boy." Mondo replied sarcastically

"Good to hear!"Nekomaru said with a big smile. Whether he caught the sarcasm or was choosing to ignore it, Mondo couldn't tell.

The intimidating teens walked for a while after asking for direction until they found the school's outside court playground. They didn't have quite as much equipment as top quality as Hope's peak high school but still more then most with how many different sports the school needed to help kids hone their skills. It looked like a class had already arrived but were mostly sitting on the bleachers talking.

One sole red headed boy seem to at least be on court near a basketball net stretching. He was doing it a bit sloppily with a basketball near his feet. Nekomaru decided to address the bleacher kids first.

"OKAY EVERYONE, ENOUGH WITH THE SLAKING! LINE UP OVER HERE SINGLE FILE AND ANNOUNCE YOUR NAMES!" he bellowed for all the court and likely the whole school to hear.

All the kids, after jumping in unison out of surprise from the sudden booming voice immediately did as they were told and ran up to them. The red head from afar seemed to acknowledge them as well but decided to shoot a close range basket shot before running over. They waited for him to come over before they introducing themselves. Luckily for Mondo's poor ears he decided to lower the volume with them being close up.

"I'm your coach for the day, I'm Nekomaru Nidai and I'm Hope's peak high school's ultimate team manager. I can't wait to see what you lil guys and girls got so we can see what needs to be improved. Let's all work together to make today and every other day we train great!" the coach announced.

Not wanting to do nothing but have their tiny eyes stare at him all day, Mondo decided to introduce himself too.

"Yo, names Mondo Oowada. I'm the coach's assistant for today and I'm Hope's peak High school's ultimate bi-" He was cut off suddenly by his friend.

"Bike maker! He can makes cool bikes and also likes to secretly sing Nirvana songs at random when he thinks no one is looking." exclaimed Nekomaru.

The kids started mumbling amongst themselves on things from their excitement at being couched by two ultimate high school kids to wondering who the heck was Nirvana.

Meanwhile Mondo gave Nekomaru a bewildered look and gestured the coach to turn around as if to tell him a secret while putting him in a half head lock. This way he could whisper slash yell at him so the kids couldn't hear.

"Why the hell did you say that for man? What's wrong with my talent that you needed to change it? Also no offense but why Nirvana? Clearly you'd be closer at saying Lincoln Park at least." said the biker.

"In order firstly,the school's program director wanted you to present yourself here with a less violent title. Second I don't personally think your talent is all that bad but I get where the board would see it as a bad influence. Thirdly,are you going to honestly say it wasn't you I've heard on 4 different occasions in the locker room bathroom whistling _where did you sleep last night_ when you thought no one else was around?" replied the coach.

Mondo had no response for any of these comments so he just looked away, shrugged his shoulders in defeat and turned back around.

Upon turning back around the teens found the tomato red headed boy they saw on the court when they first walked in now standing a few feet away.

He was standing out of line and looking up with eager wide blue eyes at them, an equally wide grin was on his face. Now that he was closer they could see he had tanner skin compared to the other kids which meant he was one of the more outdoorsy of the pack. The boy had few bandages on his legs, arms, a few fingers, and even one on his face. What caught both of their attention the most was what looked like red purple bruising on his neck and bare shoulders.

"Hey there coach and coach's assistant, I'm Masaru Daimon! I'm this schools lil ultimate P.E. and you've got the honor of seeing my skills in action. It's going to be a blast!" shouted Masaru.

"Gaha haha hahaha, your a real ball of energy aren't ya kid? That's the fighting spirit I like to see in a future Hope's peak all star!" Nekomaru shouted enthusiastically in return.

"Hey lil man, how'd you get those marks?" Mondo was the first to question it while pointing at said markings.

Where Nekomaru could see potential sports talent, Mondo knew how to see a potential trouble maker in the making. It took one to know one after all and none of these kids really seemed all that aggressive. Some seemed a bit to out of shape for fighting besides maybe the one if front of him honestly.

As if someone had flipped a light switch the twinkle in the boys eyes dimmed and his smile dropped slightly. Seemingly now self conscious as his arm started to shake a bit and he wasn't looking them in the eyes as he replied. The energy in his voice had dimmed a bit down too.

"O-oh, I just got into a bit of a fight with this jerk in my last class a while ago but it's nothing I couldn't handle. I feel great and I even sent the other guy running away from class so you might be a guy short today." said Masaru

It didn't entirely sound like the truth to either one of them but kids fighting each other to the point of big bruise wasn't really anything knew. The kid seemed like the class clown type so the idea he ran his mouth off on some bigger boy from another class and got beaten up wouldn't be anything that strange. Still they needed to make sure these kids didn't get too out of hand with each other.

"Even though I like your fighting spirit, I'm going to have to advise you to ease up on the extreme rough housing unless it's necessary. By necessary I mean like for the group activities we've got planned for you." Nekomaru advised. Even though he was only talking to Masaru his voice carried enough that the other kids were giving both teens their attention now.

"Okay everyone, for todays work out were going to test your agility, teamwork skills, endurance, and speed for the first 35 minutes of class. It's just so we can see where your skill levels are at for now. If we think it's in good enough condition then we'll let you play whatever sport you want to for the rest of the class day. Now is everyone ready?" he asked the class.

When all he got were mutters of okay he signaled for Mondo to help.

"THAT BETTER NOT BE THE BEST YOU BRATS CAN ANSWER! HE ASKED YOU A QUESTION SO YOU BETTER ANSWER **LOUDER!"** Mondo's voice roared.

"YES COACH!" The kids answered louder this time and much more fearful.

"Good work Mondo!" praised the coach.

"No sweat, works on my cousins plenty." replied the biker.

The teens watched as the kids did things from basic push-ups, pull ups, track, and an obstacle course while timed. Despite coming off as a lazy bunch in the beginning the kids almost each showed surprising levels of athleticism. There were definitely a few potential future Olympians here. Other then a few verbal arguments that broke out between Masaru and a couple other boys, no one got into any physical fights.

As reward for their mostly good behavior the kids were allowed to choose any group sport they pleased and it wound up being a game of football as the voted first game with basketball for tomorrow.

Although he wasn't twig thin Masaru didn't look like much in the muscle department but he still made the most nimble of dodges and hardest of tackles amongst his peers. Some looked on enviously while others glared when he made the first touchdown. He seemed determined to make every other touchdown by himself despite having eight other people on his team and 4 of them open to pass to at multiple points. By the end of the game when everyone else was sweaty and tired it was just about time to call it a day.

"Alright everyone, you all did your best and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got tomorrow. I think for some of you it might be fun to join some of Hope peak's high school sports tutoring clubs. You've all shown me some great potential today and if any of you feel like you want to be future athletes or just look around some sports for fun then come over. Take these papers and get the signed permission of your parent, parents, or whoever your guardians are." Nekomaru addressed the children with a proud smile as he said this and handed out the papers.

One by one the kids took the papers and stuffed them into their backpacks. When Masaru came up to get them Nekomaru made sure to pull him aside for advice on his team play.

"Masaru, you were one heck of tackler out there today and a pretty good dodger as well but your teamwork skills need some real work. If you want to get better at it you should drop by the football club for some work on your skills and team play." Coach advised.

"Are you saying I didn't make enough touchdowns for my team? I tried making sure to be on the ball as much as I could out there since I'm the team leader! They even agreed I could be leader." The lil ultimate p.e. replied with a confused look.

"No, you did plenty but the problem is you tried to do them ALL instead of giving your teammates their turns to show what they can do. There's a reason people say there is no I in team. You might think it makes you look cool but it just makes you look like a glory hog who doesn't care. A leader let's other people have their time in the sun too. Like I said though we can work on it when or if you decided to come by football club." Nekomaru clarified.

"Okay but do you think if I get really good with this and my team then..." he cut himself off while looking slightly uncomfortable for a moment. He looked away from them and down at his shoes. His hair obscured his face, it was angled in a way they couldn't see his expression but it was clear he was in thought about something. Mondo after a few seconds of this decided to try coaxing the red head to continue.

"Then what?" Mondo asked.

"Nah, it was just a silly question never mind." The boy smiled nervously in reply.

Neither of the teens believed that but they didn't want to push him. Whatever it was he wanted to ask could wait till he was ready to do so. They'd only known these kids for a short while in the day after all. Masaru was possibly going through that common phase many boys go through where they feel things like being the coolest at something just being an overly aggressive at everything and showing off. Whether it was because he wanted to look and feel tough or something else was to early to truly tell. The kid himself probably wasn't truly sure.

 

**Later at the Daimon residence**

Masaru was sure when he showed his father the flyer he'd be ecstatic at the news. He loved all sports but he especially loved football since it was something his dad liked and still liked to watch on TV. He was at least hoping to get a small smile and he thought when he started snickering it was out of out happiness.

"Pfft, so their letting snowflakes like you into football now? What the hell are you going to do there other then get your shit beat in? I hope my lessons haven't turned you into on of those weirdo masochistic freaks." his father said.

He had no idea what that that term meant but could tell his dad wasn't as impressed by the news in the way he'd hoped. There were few things since his mom left that made his father happy other then sports, cigarettes, or alcohol. His dad only appreciated the forceful approach to most things and despite knowing it would likely get him hit, Masaru knew the that only meant he had to be just as forceful about things f he wanted his approval.

"I'm not a snowflake dad! I think I can even make captain if I train hard enough at hope's Peak high. "the boy protested

"I should refuse to sign just because of that tone but if you want go out there and get laughed off the field then that's just as good as any of my lessons. If you somehow make the team you better not fucking embarrass me with losing any of your games." Nathan demanded

"You're the one embarrassed by everything I do though. Mom wouldn't of been _."_ The redhead muttered under his breath.

Masaru saw the hand coming. Reading his dad's boy movements when he was angry became easy over the years but he made no move to dodge. He knew that would only lead to worse.

"What the hell have I said about muttering in my damn house you fucking freeloading shit! If you've got something to say, you fucking say it clear so I know what I'm disciplining you for saying." he screamed.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to, I didn't really say anything important I promise!" He tired to hold back his tears as he spoke.

"Well next time you've got something to say you better speak up. Now get me my damn cigarettes near the fire place. ".Nathen ordered.

"Yes sir." He moved to get the items quickly before heading to his room. His father's voice stopped him before he could retreat further.

"One more thing. What have I told you to say to anyone who asked about those bruises from your lessons?" This question was a common thing after his usually attacks so he knew how to answer right away.

"I fell downstairs doing something stupid or I was playing with something on the oven and burnt myself." This lie would be a lot less convincing if people knew his home only was a stairless one floor building and that most of their meals were from either takeout or the microwave. With his mom gone and his father's drinking habit costing them money they had to move into something smaller and cheaper then before.

"Good."

Masaru knew his dad only acted this way out caring for him to be the best man possible or at least he thought so. That didn't mean the idea of this being a lie like Jataro's ugliness was by his own parents didn't cross his mind. If parents lied about how nice you looked did the same go for how strong you were? That made no sense to him since even the coaches from school today said he needed to work at being better. What did someone gain by making a strong person feel weak?

" _A sick sense of humor is what they called it for Jataro."_ He recalled in his head.

Masaru liked messing with the guy but didn't like seeing him get honestly hurt. He remembered more then a few occasions being at the masked boy's house and seeing his mother snicker whenever he almost hurt himself tripping or accidently walking to a sharply curved table edge. Looking back at it now that probably was a bit of proof on how messed up she her own mind was. Unlike Jataro's mom or Kotoko's parents for that matter, his dad didn't ever seem to be secretly snickering or showing any creepy gross joy from the lessons. All he did was look annoyed, angry, or upset even when he was indulging in the few things he did openly say he liked.

To think just getting better at football would get him to finally hold him warmly and not feel embarrassed about him was wishful thinking. Even so it was the most useful thing he could think of. He hoped maybe his coaches would have some tips when he had the courage to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updated this thing and this time around it's still the same year! A record book worthy moment or at least for me. Hope all of you guys are enjoying this. Next time around we're going to revisit everyone's favorite masked boy with a love for art.


	8. Loveless language

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jataro learns to write and his father almost gets tasered but meets someone nice instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and thanks again to all those reading. I'm happy hearing people say their really enjoying this story. I really didn't want to rush the pace to much but rest assured that lady karma will be coming to each parent 1 at a time. It only occurred to me recently that Jataro has a breathing tube on his outfit and it's never really said why.
> 
> WARNING: I want to let it be known that I have no medical background what so ever but tried to research a few things for this chapter. I tried paraphrasing what I found but don't take what you read from me as an accurate medical description of a very real condition or conditions. If you or anyone you know suffers from depression seek real medical advise from your local licensed doctor or therapist.

With the exception of his father, Jataro got very little encouragement to do anything or acknowledgement even when he did do something correctly.

 

His math skills were surprisingly decent but his grammar was very sloppy. This mostly came from him being to comfortable using his pencil in the same manner he would his chisel. Because of this it turns out that stabbing one's work sheet is the opposite of making coherent sentences. Whenever he tried copying more practical approach that the teacher would show him, he would whined up getting himself anxious and unsure how to move his hands. Ibuki and Mikan in comparison with his grumpy impatient teachers were a lot more encouraging with plenty of patience.

As fun as he was with props, Ibuki could tell he needed a bit of a confidence boost. He told them even if his face wasn't as ugly as he was told, that didn't mean his mom wasn't right about his how ugly his brain was. When asked what he meant, Jataro simply showed them his latest report card.

**10101000010101101001010101010100101010100101011010101010101000**

**Mathematics: B-**

**P.E.: C-**

**Arts & Crafts: A+**

**Writing & Literature: F**

**Science: D+**

**Social Studies: D+**

**-Principle's note: Jataro Kamuri's Arts & Crafts work is exceptional and very well detailed when he's concentrating. Once he made a clay, wax, hair, and paper cat with the likeness of his Art teacher's childhood pet cat for her birthday. It was so lifelike that someone on staff actually thought he had brought the real thing to class. He's a kind enough boy in this regard and unlike in his other classes he is very quiet and well behaved. However this does bring up the problems of his behavior in his other classes. **

**In other classes he can't seem to sit still, mutters to himself loudly off and on, plus ruins his writing papers in a way that comes off as hostile. When shown how to write properly he tends to just stare at the paper. Oddly enough when it comes to math he does fairly decently. He tends to try writing with a large black marker instead of a pencil or pen which is not normally allowed but teachers will occasionally allow it so he doesn't ruin their limited papers. Even then his handwriting tends to be difficult to read when it comes to words compared to numbers.**

**Socially he tends to keep to himself and cry incoherently when other kids asks him to take off his mask. Teacher's were told by parents that it was for medical reasons but think it's obscuring his vision. This gets in the way at times when made to be put in physical activities. His clothing also tends to get in the way of playing correctly. The gym teacher tries to be understanding that his family's financial situation, work schedules, or both is likely the reason his parents have yet to give him proper fitting attire.**

**Please let us know what his tutor(s) have tried to improve this if possible. If he does not improve even with the tutoring then he will not be allowed to move on to the next grade with his peers.**

**End note.**

**0101010101001010101010101001010101010101010100101010101001010**

After seeing this note both Ibuki and Mikan agreed to help him try improving in his school work like they promised his parents. Neither were anything amazing when it came to those subjects but they knew enough to show him how to slowly improve. They decided to tackle one of the core issues that was mentioned in the middle with his writing first.

"Just keep moving your hand slowly, slow and easy now, no need to rush. Are you looking at the paper when you need to?" Mikan asked.

"O-okay, um I think I made a line to big. Should I start over or...?" Jataro said hesitantly.

They had been trying to get him to spell a simple short sentence using a beginners writing and coloring book for a while. He really was writing outside the lines a bit and some letters were a bit close together but not to badly.

"It's looks fine enough Jatjat, worry about it later or you'll get yourself to anxious. Here, Ibuki will even help you write a little of the rest okay?" The musician said with a smile.

Ibuki then took his hand in her own and squeezed it gently to ease the slight shaking it was making. Slowly she moved his hand with her own to write the next few words.

"Okay after this next stroke I'm going to let go but just try and use the same pressure you felt with my hand there. Okay? She explained.

He looked slightly hesitant but nodded his head in understanding. For the next word he wrote slowly and it looked pretty good, but it was just at the last two he started to get sloppy again with how close the lines were. Noticing this himself he started to purposely scribble at the edges of the paper out of frustrated distraction.

"Jataro? Maybe you should..." Mikan began but was cut off.

"I know it's ugly but I can't help thinking about how much better my friends would be at this. The styles most of them write in are nicer and even Masaru is cleaner when he does graffiti on the side of the school. He might of actually passed his own art class if drawing on the school wasn't against the rules. It's also kind weird that out of all windows an art window isn't...I can't remember the word but schools don't like it. I wish I had my marker to..." He was clearly distracting himself but luckily Mikan wouldn't let him.

"Actually Jataro,I was going to suggest maybe think of writing like how you prep for umm,art projects?" Mikan suggested. She didn't like interrupting people when they talked but the longer he started to do so, he would likely forget where they left off.

"But I get in trouble for that since I can't use my supplies for tests and stuff." He looked at his hands guiltily.

"Well no, I mean uh, whenever I help at the local hospital I never know what I'm going to be helping with. A nurse has to always be ready for any emergency so I think of the basic things I need to take care of before I go. Do I have enough fresh gloves and bandages stocked? Did I eat enough? Did I get enough sleep? What floor was busiest yesterday and might still be busy today? If I organize my thoughts like this way before hand I can concentrate a lot better at the main task. That way I can be less distracted or worried even when something new happens that I'm called for." She explained.

"Oh, I think I can try that." Jataro said with a shy nod.

"Also, Ibuki noticed that your trying to write sometimes with the same font style you sign you works. Maybe we can look into a cool different font so you can still be creative but won't get you in trouble?"

She proceeded to browse her phone for different saved font styles she had from her past album covers both the used and considered. There were some that were big and others would take to long on a test to do. A few others looked like they were a different language all together. Eventually though the trio agreed the font style labeled **Atomic Sushi** was cool yet practical enough to try.

Other then the occasional freezing up at bigger words he was doing okay and after an hour they decided to call it a day. As a reward for doing such a good job they decided to take him to the local park to play for a bit. Before the trio could gather all their supplies up, a familiar blue haired boy along with his mentor appeared.

"Ah! Nagisa, I didn't know you were gonna be here today."Jataro greeted his friend with a smile. First running into Kotoko last week and now Nagisa. He was always happy to see them so he ran up to hug Nagisa.

"I got better at writing today!" He exclaimed a little louder then he needed to indoors.

"Riiiight on he is! We might need some help with the Science and social studies but he's we're at least tackling the writing thing a bit." Ibuki just like Jataro said this in a louder voice then needed indoors.

"Good to hear though you should lower your voices in a school environment when indoors regardless the rush from a good study." Isimaru replied.

"Hey if you were having with things like science and especially social studies why didn't you ask me to help?" Nagisa asked.

Suddenly a bit nervous about responding to his friend, Jataro started muttering in a bit more quiet voice.

"Oh um, I know you've got a lot your own stuff to worry about so I didn't want to be a bother about it. We go to the same school and types of classes but yours are a lot more special smart kid classes. It would be an ugly way to waste your time and-"

Nagisa cut him off by putting his hand on the other boy's shoulder and giving it a comforting pat to calm him down before speaking.

"That's alright Jataro, honestly it's not a problem for me. If you want me and my tutor's help we can have a study session sometime. I'd be happy to help."

"Really?!" The arts major exclaimed as if he couldn't believe his friend cared that much. Out of the other kids he was the least likely to tease or harass him but all the same he felt surprise at his friends caring tone. When all he got in reply was nod and a smile he hugged Nagisa again.

**At the park**

**111**

**11**

**1**

While competing with Jataro on who could spin around on the spinning chairs the longest without getting dizzy, Mikan was on standby just in case.

She wasn't planning on getting directly involved but still enjoyed seeing her friends have fun. Despite them being where the root of her self-hate began, Mikan never held any ill will towards children. Seeing them smile and knowing she was the cause of their happiness warmed her. Knowing that instead of being a victim anymore she could help those also hurt by bullies made her feel needed. She called for them to stop when it looked like Jataro was wheezing fairly hard and helped him keep his asthma tube in his mouth as he breathed. They'd only learned later that the one positive thing that could be said about Jataro's mask was that it kept his medicine in place so he wouldn't forget it.

Unknown to the trio there was another set of eyes watching them from a distance while pretending to be reading the newspaper from the bench across from the playground.

Roicu Kemuri had gotten home a bit earlier then usually to hear the unfamiliar sounds of silence in his house instead of Jataro's usually noisy TV watching. He'd have a habit of sometimes playing the volume more then a bit too high from time to time. It honestly never bothered him much but his wife claimed the volume hurt her ears which was why after a while he'd hear her scream from upstairs for him to turn it down.

After listening to his messages and one of them from the Mioda girl saying they were taking Jataro to the park, his instincts said to follow them to make sure. Hope's peak high school might of been a highly respected school in many ways but that didn't mean it was immune to the gossip of what kinds of questionable people it let in. Although the girls came off nice enough he still wanted to make sure.

Roicu had only met them once and they seemed like harmless girls but he wanted to at least check. Just so he wouldn't feel like he was totally neglecting Jataro's possible safety.

" _Neglecting Jataro's safety."_ He thought this bitterly to himself since he did realize to some degree that it was an hypocritical thought to an extent. Roicu wasn't completely blind as he let on which only made it feel all the worse at times. As he watched Jataro and his new friends move on to play on the monkey bars he thought about his own small moments of happiness as a kid.

Soon thinking of the ones that involved his wife back when they were teens. She was a cute cheerleader but not a very well liked one by even her other squad members. He wasn't a very confident nerd so when she asked him to a 2nd year prom he was ecstatic. A friend warned him on a rumor on some popular girls asking out guys on dares for money and then dumping them a few weeks later.

Of course he though his friend was just jealous and ignored his warning.

After a great 7 weeks of love and one drunk night of fun, she started getting sick on the 8th week. A quick doctor's visit revealed that she was indeed pregnant with life. Roicu promised to arrange a wedding and take up a job to help support her but she didn't want a big wedding of any sort. Mimi didn't want to chance others might find out and harass them. Being a pregnant teen wasn't a crime but it was humiliating for both their families. With the weird hormonal spikes came strong cravings that made her eat more and occasionally drink despite doctors orders.

"This is mostly your fault so you can't tell me when to drink and what! I'm sure twice in a month just a little sip won't kill me." Mimi said.

He did at some point ask if she wanted to put the child up for adoption or even an abortion before it got to big but she refused both. She didn't like the humiliation that came with having a kid so young but she also claimed she was excited to have a baby before her older sister. Neither really knew anything about babies but Mimi was saving up for nursing school lessons so they already had a few books. He was both anxious and excited when he first held Jataro. When Mimi's only reaction to him from birth to a whole year later was blank faces or small grimaces he didn't really understand why. Although she wound up dropping out of nursing school they still had a few books.

In one of the books it explained the concept of postpartum depression vs baby blues. It explained that some women can develop them both during and after a pregnancy. In the first days and weeks after childbirth, a new mother goes through a variety of emotions. She may feel many wonderful feelings including awe, joy and bliss.

She may also experience difficult feelings, including sadness, anger, or both. Sad feelings and crying bouts that follow childbirth are known as the "baby blues." The baby blues are common and tend to decrease within a week or two. This type of sadness is often attributed to the dramatic hormonal changes that follow childbirth.

Around one in seven women will experience something more extreme than the typical baby blues. Women that give birth and struggle with sadness, anxiety or worry for several weeks or more may have postpartum depression (PPD). While the baby blues tend to pass quickly, PPD can be long-lasting and severely affect a woman's ability to get through her daily routine. In some cases like with his wife's case they can tend to lash out at others along with their own child as part of their problems.

Was he staying out of pity for her? He liked to tell himself he wasn't and that it was because of the spark they still had. Did a part of him believe that her anger was only half because of PPD and another half of never wanting him or Jataro in the first place? He'd be a horrible husband if he ever admitted that and that his friend was probably right. It did no good to think this way so he tried shoving that notion aside whenever it weaseled up.

Had he not at least considered divorce even though he didn't think he could handle being single again and raising a child alone to boot? Roicu once more made himself believe that wasn't the case.

 _"One day it'll pass. One day she'll look at our son with a real smile and not a fake one."_ Roicu chanted these thoughts every day until he made himself believe it was true. Before he could think further he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey buddy? If your trying to pick up underage kids maybe creep somewhere my kid and her friends aren't huh?" A female voice broke Roicu from his thoughts. He must of zoned out for a bit and didn't notice the woman's approach. Along with her voice he noticed her small pocket taser that she was tracing her hand over as a warning. Only after his mind slowly registered her comment did he leap up waving his hands in front of himself and shaking his head no defensively.

"Oh! No, no, no, no, I'm not a creep I promise! I was just watching my son over there to make sure he was okay. I got a message from his friends Mioda and Tsumiki that they were going to this park His name is Jataro Kemuri and I'm Roicu Kemuri. I even have photos of us if you want proof."

He hastily showed a few pictures of him walking Jataro to school the few times he had the time to.

"I meant no offense Ms...um?"

"Meh, it's alright and names Lucy Mioda. You know like the old beatles song with diamonds? Sorry for the threat but with the crazies out there now a days you can't be to careful. Lucy said.

You can drop the over proper Ms or Mioda stuff. Just call me Lucy and I was wondering who's kid she was talking about when she said she was going to the park. Said it was some kid nicknamed JatJat and her friend. He's a bit adorable save for the mask. Looks like he needed his clothes patched up to but baby girl seems to have that covered." She commented.

Looking over, Roicu only then realized as she pointed out that Jataro's sleeves were rolled and stitched to be more fitting. Same with his pants as well.

 _"Why hadn't I ever considered doing that? Oh...right I'm usually to busy with work or to tired to going shopping often. I just leave it to Mimi."_ He recalled. Not wanting to get to stuck on that issue he returned his attention to Lucy who was now sitting across from him and smiling at the kids.

Now that he had the chance to get a proper look at her, Lucy really did look like an older and more mature version of her daughter. She had a few beauty marks above her right eye. Both eyes had been cleanly done over in light pink eyeshadow. Her eyes compared to her daughter were green instead of pink. Ibuki's mother had a pear shaped body that wasn't exactly fat nor too thin.

Probably a few years older then himself but not by that many years. With the exception of a few loose strands on the side of her head she had nicely groomed black hair with a few naturally white strands in it. All in all he couldn't deny she was pretty and seemed like a nice person. To confront him as she did meant she was good mother to.

"It's really nice that you taught her how to sow. I never really had the patience for it myself and haven't done it in a long while." Roicu complimented.

"Yeah, it wasn't exactly something I wanted to get into when I was a kid but when you need to save your yen and need clothes it's a great skill to have. That's what my mom told me and it definitely turned out to be true. My baby girl even makes her own outfits sometimes for her concerts." Lucy stated proudly.

"You and her father must be very proud of having such a talented kid. My son has a talent in arts & crafts. Sweet boy but I sometimes worry about his mind. He had a really bad rash a few months after we had him. I don't know if he was born with it or the medicine for it affected his brain but he tends to dissociate from things around him. I care for him still honestly." Roicu said.

He heard her laugh beside him but it was more like a bitter sarcastic one rather then cheery in a way.

"He doesn't even know where we live and I'd honestly like to keep it that way. Even if when he gets out and Ibuki is 35 by that time, I'd rather not let him know. As for my own kid she has to have her own little medications too but all you can do is love them regardless. All any parent can do is just hope that when their old enough to make big choices we've done all we can with them so they do it right." The way she spoke about it seemed to come from a place of experience and acceptance from what she'd been through.

"You... make a good point. Ah, I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring up something sensitive like that. I did notice you weren't wearing a ring but just assumed so I'm sorry."

"Nah it's okay. With how I can ramble I'd of brought it up myself at some point. I see you have ring unlike me so does that mean there's a miss kemuri or...?" Lucy paused for the answer.

"Yes, her name is Mimi." He replied.

The two of them chatted a bit more and mostly talked about how well their home lives had more or less been over the years. Lucy Mioda apparently owned a little tailor shop in town not to far from the park. Much like she mentioned earlier, Lucy eventually brought up the topic of her husband and how he was in jail for something that happened at a family reunion. She didn't really like remembering it to often. Roicu let her know that he didn't want to pressure her into talking about things she was uncomfortable with if she didn't want to. For the sake of changing topics he mentioned how his wife had dropped out of nursing school but was beautician part time though didn't get many customers.

It had been a long time since Roicu had been able to just casually talk to another women and it was honestly refreshing. It took his mind off some of his worries about Jataro and at least for a little bit forget his worries with his wife.

Eventually they noticed the kids starting to pack up to go. They decided to get up and do the same but exchanged numbers in case of emergency before they left. Since their kids were friends now he kind of hoped to see more of her just for the sake of talking to an adult who talked back to him like one. That at least was what he said to himself on the way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I hope the new year is treating you well so far. Please forgive my ice age long absence. On the plus side though I want you guys to know everyone both equally loved and loathed four eyed lemon will be making his fashionably late appearance

**Author's Note:**

> I've actually got this posted on another site but I'm going to recheck everything before posting it all. It's not in any way a finished story but that just means we'll both know the ending when I can think of it.


End file.
